It’s August and all the stores in Chicago would like a share of your pocketbook this season in back to school supplies, clothes, shoes and college dorm necessities. Some have great sales starting already, other stores will start the back to school sales in Chicago this week. Most kids start school in a few weeks and want new backpacks, lunchboxes, supplies and of course jeans, gym shoes and stylish accessories.  Kids don’t care very much about whether there is a back to school sale running or not, but they do need some new stuff.

Yet, this year we are still in a recession and the economic activity is restrained, so how much new stuff will people really buy? Or can you get more use out of last year’s backpack and lunchbox? Maybe it’s not the time for a cell phone for the kids just yet? This year’s back to school buying season may be more about sales than ever.

If you want to afford the things you need for the lowest prices check out these tips for saving money and stores and where to find Chicago back to school sales and discounts.

1. Skip the non-necessities.I don’t think it’s the year for coach purses, 7 for mankind jeans or new iphones. I think most families are looking for back to school sales in Chicago this year on back to school items and are more likley to re-use things they have around the house. If you can get some life out of cleaning up last year’s backpack, lunchbox, gym shoes or get by with last year’s calculator, people are doing that.

2. Look for the back to school sales. You need to look around at all the sales to get a feel for the best prices. The best way to do this is to research online first, but beware some stores can charge different prices for items online than they do in the store. Look for fliers online to check store prices before you drive all over town. Target, Walmart and most department stores like Carson’s and Macy’slist the flyer online in image format to view. Getting the Sunday paper is also a good deal this year because those back to school sale flyers are delivered to your doorstep. Many office supply stores have school supplies on sale, check Office Max and Office Depot and Staples flyers.

3. Consider unusual stores for even more discounts. Maybe the dollar store has more value than you might think? Sometimes general items like notebooks, folders, markers and glue can be found cheaper at a dollar store and if you don’t like the brand label, cover it with stickers or remove it all together and decorate the bottle with a sharpie.  The worst place to buy school supplies is usually the grocery store, they never have sales, have very little selection and always have high prices. Sometimes you can find daily deals on the wise bead blog for office supplies at stores you would not expect.

4. Buy used expensive itemslike computers and cell phones instead of new if possible. You can buy unlocked cell phones on ebay or sign a contract to get a cell phone for free with a plan. Computers last longer than you might think, and with some refreshing of the software and cleaning of the hard drive many used desktop and laptop computers are perfectly good for a few more years after someone sells them. Look for deals on ebay or with a friend that does IT work.  IT guys always know when companies are getting new computers and selling the old ones cheap. They also know how to refurbish them. Good friends to have.

5. If in doubt, wait on buying new back to school clothes. If you need some quick shiny new clothes to get into the first month of school with check out Old Navy’s sales and H&M for teens. The styles are hip and the prices are low. Plus the long sleeve stuff isn’t really wearable yet because it’s too warm. In September and October all the fall stuff will be on more discount and even cheaper than the 10-25% offnow. Plus most discounts are listed as “specially marked items only” anway. Also, for teens buying gently used clothes at Plato’s Closet is always a good idea. They charge less than half the original price for some very cool brands.

6. Stick to the back to school list. Don’t deviate from the list and let the kids get extra stuff, or buy extra stuff for yourself! It is easy to toss extra cool new stuff in the cart, but if you have a budget to stick to, the list is the best guide.

The Garrett Popcorn Shops will open a new store on Michigan Avenue in Chicago this summer replacing the one on North Michigan Avenue that closed last year. Their presence on the Mag Mile was missed by locals and tourists alike. Their flavored popcorn is such a Chicago Classic and we are glad to see that they will be back. The new Garrett Popcorn Shop will be located on the corner of Michigan Avenue and Ontario Street. Look for the new store to open in late summer, (August?). Everyone loves the caramel popcorn but there is a large range of flavors available, all are great to try. Check them out the next time you are downtown shopping.

Vintage Black and White Mother's Day Photos with Kids.

There are a lot of ideas for spending Mother’s Day in Chicago with mom this year. Whether your mom is a corporate VP or a stay at home multitasking genius, there is something you can do to make this Sunday’s Mother’s Day Special.

Mother’s Day Flowers are always a great gift. Most moms love flowers so getting a bouquet of roses, flower arrangement of dasies or car load of bedding flowers for the front yard are all great ideas.  I have been taking my mom flower shopping for several years now the week before Mother’s Day. We buy a few hanging pots of geraniums and some flats of flowers for the garden (petunias, begonias, dahlias and maybe a rosebush or a flowering shrub if we need one that year).

Blue Butterfly on an Orange Zinnia, Flowers are a great gift for Mother's Day

I end up spending about $100 since it is a fancy place for flowers (Vern Goers in Hinsdale), but the Jewel stores have their greenhouses up and the home depot sells a lot of interesting bedding plants also. (also try The Growing Place in Naperville. ) You probably want to go home and help mom plant them in the garden and pots too, in order to really make it a great gift and a great day.

Mother’s Day Brunches

There are numerous Mother’s Day brunches all over Chicagoland on Sunday May 10th. Some good local Chicagoland restaurants I know of are:

Vintage Moms of the 1950's. What would they would have liked? What do they want us to remember?

The Glen Prairie Restaurant in Glen Ellyn, McCormick & Schmick’s Restaurant in Chicago, ZED451 in Chicago and the very popular Naperville Hilton Sunday Brunch at Allgauer’s in Naperville. You need reservations for all these restaurants on Mother’s Day. They all are usually booked for their Sunday brunches and Mother’s Day is no different. Call now to see if there is still room!

Mother’s day Gift Ideas

If you can’t afford an iPhone or a luxury spa vacation for mom here are some good Mother’s Day Gift Ideas for kids and families.

What most moms want is to be appreciated and to spend quality fun time with their kids. With how hectic the schedules are in our lives with work and home responsibilities, nobody gets enough quality time. Doing something for the day for the family is probably what mom would like best.

The famous Blue Box from Tiffany's.

Also keep your ears open for what mom has been talking about needing latley. Does the dishwasher make a menacing noise when it starts? Would the thought of doing dishes by hand in the sink every night grind your life and schedule to a halt? Is the washer starting a leak or acting funny stopping mid cycle? Getting things for the home that need upgrading is a great way to get a gift for mom and help both parents in the house get things done quicker.

Not all mom’s want to be reminded of the work they do at home on Mother’s Daythough. Some moms want to go out and experience the world that they left behind when they had kids. Maybe this kind of mom wants a night out withdad in the city, with a broadway show, fancy dinner and four star hotel.

Mother’s Day Traditions

If you really think about it, moms are the glue that holds nature and life together. Without all their nurturing and caring how would human life transfer knowledge to the next generation and continue? If you think about it, its pretty amazing that life has existed as long as it has, and how within a few short decades the generational shift in the world is huge. Moms also influence heavily who you become and some of your deepest personality traits. Women have traditionally played an important role in making all life possible on earth, lets give them the credit they deserve.

Plenty of fast fun affordable spring break escape options in Chicago.

I know that the tradition is to leave Chicago and go to a warm sunny tropical location to celebrate spring break, but for many people who live throughout the Midwest, Chicago is the destination for a spring break getaway. If you’re from Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri or Minnesota you might be thinking of spending Spring Break in Chicago. OR, Maybe you live in Naperville and want to escape and stay downtown for a stay-cation break?

It’s the big city with all the bright lights and events happening. Maybe you’re considering moving there some day and want to see what all the excitement is about in Chicago? Here is a list of things that you can do on Spring Break in Chicago, whether you’re 17 or 77.

1. Shopping on Michigan Avenuedowntown or at Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg. Before the Mall of America was built, Woodfield was the largest mall in America. Do your civic duty during this recession and find the best sales and deals in the stores now. Shopping is a local pastime in Chicago whether the country is in a recession or not. I see Michigan Avenue filled with shoppers every day.

2. Eat a Steak.Or if you’re a vegetarian, check out some of the finer veggie options in Chicago (yes there are many). Some of the best steakhouses in Chicago are: Gibson’s, Morton’s, Ruth’s Chris, Mickormick & Schmick’s, Smith & Wollensky and Lawry’s Prime Rib (technically not steak but still very good). Some of the best well known Vegetarian restaurants are the Lakeside Cafe, Uru-Swati on Devon, Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant on Ashland and Mana Food bar on Division.  

The view of Chicago on spring break

3. Odyssey Chicago Lake Michigan Dinner Cruise or the Chicago River Boat Tours. Both of these options give you a great view of Chicago and the skyline. The Odessy Dinner Cruises are best at night when the skyline is lit up. The Chicago River Boat Tours are also fantastic on the Chicago River. I think the Architecture tour is the best but all of them are equally informative and entertaining.

4. Check out the Art Institute of Chicago. Ok, this isn’t really very spring breaky, but well worth the time and still provides a certain amount of risque topics for discussion. There are always special traveling exhibits at the Art Institute of Chicago that showcase collections of artwork that are very rare and exclusive. Check them out since they are usually only showing the exhibit for a limited number of weeks.

5. If your spring break is really late, or you are possibly waiting to plan a summer trip, consider Six Flags Great America. This is about the most spring break like activity we have here in Chicago. It’s pure fun, all the roller-coasters and rides you can possibly dream of. It is a day of pure escape from the everyday.

6. Check out the concerts. A lot of local bands play weekly in the city and if you plan ahead you can catch big national tours as they pass through Chicago. The Allstate arena, United Center, House of Blues and Chicago Theater all have new shows every weekend and you can get discount tickets the day of, if they aren’t sold out. The best way to check out these venues is their individual websites.

Many of us know Tesla Motors because of the news involving either:

1. High Gas Prices and alternative fuel vehicles talked about by magazines like WIRED.

2. The CEO of the Tesla Motors Company being removed by the board because of lots of personal differences and internal conflict which have led to the Tesla Roadster being behind on it’s delivery schedule and having engineering problems in getting the product to market.

3. The BBC UK show Top Gear reviewed the Tesla roadster this past season and it quit on them several times. They generally liked it when the batteries were running though.

The Chicago Tesla Dealership and Showroom will be located at 1053 West Grand Ave in Chicago, IL this spring near the Kennedy Expressway in the River West neighborhood. (kind of a desolate location from the looks of Google Street View) The dealership will be Tesla’s first electric car sales showroom and service center outside of California. I am also excited about this new Tesla Dealership in Chicago because this is the first fully electric car to be commercially available in Chicago that I know of.

I was a fan of the GM EV1 back in the day and they never even offered them here in Chicago since the test never expanded that far. Now Tesla will be the first company the test out battery powered electric cars (green cars) in this climate. Many people think that the cold winters will reduce the performance of the batteries that power the cars since batteries generally don’t do well here with out below zero temperatures.

Tesla is offering one couple model of their electric car for $109,000.00 ($55K down payment) at this time and have plans to offer another one at a lower price ($60K) in the future and maybe adding seats for more passengers. Right now Chicago is thrilled that we had enough people and interest to support an electric car dealership and we welcome Tesla to the Chicagoland area.

No word on how these little 2 seater Tesla roadsters will fare in the snow and cold, but we plan on enjoying them in traffic, emissions free, in the other season: construction.

The Odyssey Dinner Boat Cruises on Lake Michigan in Chicago are well known for providing an elegant evening on the lake with a spectacular view of the city of Chicago. When we got a chance to take one this weekend and have a night out we jumped at the chance. My fiance and I couldn’t remember the last time we had been out on a date night since we got engaged. The Chicago Odyssey Dinner Cruise was just what we needed among the crazy wedding planning we are managing right now. Here is a review of our experiences on the Odyssey Dinner Cruise this past Saturday night in Chicago.

Boarding Time: 6:30 pm

Cruise Starts: 7:30 pm

Dinner: 8PM

Jazz Music/Dancing: throughout

View of Chicago: the entire night until 10:30 pm when we got back to Navy Pier in Chicago.

Cost:  Saturday Night Dinner Cruises start at $92. This may seem like a lot of money, but there are many restaurants in the city that cost a lot more than that and don’t provide this kind of unique experience.

The weather started out rainy so we were not sure we would have much of a view on the Chicago Odyssey Cruise ship that evening, but we drove to Navy Pier anyway in hopes of a romantic evening away from everything stressful happening right now. We read that the dress code was somewhat formal and Steve actually pulled out a suit jacket to wear. The location was easy to find, we parked in the Navy Pier garage and the Chicago Odyssey Boat was docked right on the other side of the pier from where we parked by the #5 doors.  The cruise ship looked just like the pictures, big white modern looking boat with black windows. 

The rain was disappointing but when you are on a large boat for 800 people you don’t even know it’s raining outside. The interior was surprising, no communal tables or big buffets. The level we were set up on was a very elegant restaurant setting with individual tables and we sat right by the window to see the view perfectly. The meal was a 4 course meal which was very good. The appetizers, salad, main course and desert were all very good. The chicken I had as the main course was a bit heavy but Steve really enjoyed his steak and the cobbler for desert was amazing. I don’t think that people view the Odyssey or any of the Chicago Skyline Cruises as a big floating four star full service restaurant, but they really are.

The cruise started out with a champagne cocktail hour while people were boarding. Then we switched to diet pepsi so we would stay awake since we live sleep deprived lives at this point. The coffee later in the evening was also a welcome perk of caffeine. There was a full bar available though with all the amenities you would expect from a restaurant of this caliber.

The dining room on the Odyssey is really as nice as a fine dining restaurant.

The Chicago Odyssey Boat Tour Cruise also had a very nice 3 piece jazz band playing sets on the boat during the entire time we were there. They covered everything from smooth jazz to classic Sinatra standards and finished out the evening with an energetic rendition of Sweet Home Chicago. I think they are wise to have good quality music on a cruise of Chicago’s skyline. People in Chicago know their music and jazz and the couple next to us was commenting how the music was genuine jazz played well.

Our server was very attentive and the service all around was very good the entire time we were on the ship. We were still invited to go upstairs and view the skyline from the top deck of the ship even in the poor weather and the server even offered an umbrella if we needed it. I think having separate levels and rooms on this ship is a key to it’s success. There was a college honor society party on the 2nd level and a high school party on the 3rd and we never really came in contact with any of the immaturity you would expect from those younger crowds during the trip. I am sure that all the couples that were in that dining room were happy to be in a separate room also. 

We were surprised at the variety of events that people were celebrating on the Odyssey Cruise Ship that night. They make a special effort to find out what event you are celebrating and make it special. They announced people’s anniversaries and birthdays as well as had special birthday desert cakes with candles. They try and go out of the way to make your 3 hours on the lake a special and memorable experience.

We found that the Odyssey Ships don’t go far from the shore on to Lake Michigan (which is nice for the view), they initially turned south to view the city and then looped back north a few times cycling back and forth from the museum campus to Navy Pier. We did go up on the top deck and saw a beautiful view of Chicago (under a light fog) and of Navy Pier. Some HS kids were smoking up there but were just hanging out.

I can imagine how cool it must be for a high school or college student to take a date, or have a dance on Lake Michigan on a boat like this, especially if you’re from the suburbs.  It is like their first night out as adults and most of the kids looked like they took it pretty seriously. The rest of the crowd seemed like they were a mix of young couples celebrating birthdays and mid-aged people on anniversaries. One group was a girls night out all the way from Tennessee. I could see this as a great way for people traveling from other cities to really get to see Chicago and have an elegant dinner at the same time. I can also see the appeal for couples with kids to get away for the evening and go on a cruise like this just to relax and enjoy each-other’s company.

My overall experience surpassed my expectations on the Chicago Odyssey Dinner Cruise on Lake Michigan andI can confidently recommend the experience for anyone looking for an elegant night out in Chicago or someone looking for tourist suggestions for enjoying a vacation in Chicago. The spring-summer-fall seasons are probably better weather than the first week in March but it is possible to go on these scenic dinner cruises almost any time of year and we’re glad we got to get away this weekend regardless of the weather.

Have you had an experience on an Odyssey Dinner Cruise that you would like to share? Comment below…

President’s Day is observed on February 16. I won’t be at work that day, like most people who have the day off, I will be honoring our first presidents by shopping at the President’s Day Sales around Chicagoland. Wouldn’t they be proud?

All the local Chicago stores are starting their ramp up of ads for that holiday and if you are holding off on buying something because of the recession, you may want to go shopping on President’s Day because the stores are cutting prices and have everything on sale.

President’s Day is much like Christmas this year where Chicago retailers just want to make sales so they are cutting prices and discounting everything in the store. You can get great deals on clothing, furniture, housewares, carpet, mattresses and even cars. GM, Ford, Toyota and Honda are trying to talk anyone into buying a car off their lot. One dealer even advertised a buy one get one free sale. (it was a Chrysler dealer)

Here are some of the President’s Day Sales around Chicago that I have heard about. If these are national stores you may find they have the same deals in other locations also.

Kohl’s - the home of all holiday sales. Kohl’s has a lot marked down on sale this President’s day both online and in stores. Look for great Bonus Buys (Expires 2/18/09) like:
15-50% ENTIRE STOCK Kitchen Electrics
50% Off Chaps and axcess Suit Separates for Men
Athletic Shoes on sale from $28.99 
40-70% Off Bedding Collections & Accessories, Sheet Sets and Down Comforters 

The general sale includes some great deals like:
30-40% Off Men’s Dress Shoes & Casual Shoes
50% Off Bed Pillows, Mattress Pads, Feather Beds & Fiber Beds

Take an additional 10% off your order with coupon code: NEW3988 Expires on 2/22/09.

Kohl’s Charge Card holders save up to 30% off with the following coupons:
15% Off: MVCCHARGE15 (Exp 2/17/09)
20% Off: SAVE20FEB (Exp 2/29/09)
30% Off: PRESIDENT30 (Exp 2/18/09)  

Kohl’s also has all Dana Buchanan women’s seperates are 30% off on President’s day.

Plus there are bonus coupons you might get in your mail box if you are a Kohl’s credit card user. They always send 10%, 15% or 30% off coupons in the mail and this is inaddition to the sale prices already in the store.

Macy’s – Macy’s Department Stores also like having sales for all the Holidays. I would expect a lot to be on sale from their clothing departments to clear out the last of the winter clothes since spring merchandise is coming in soon and Jewelry will be on sale since Macy’s just took over the jewelry section of the store from a jeweler that was leasing it at the State Street Store. This may have been the case at other former Marshall Field’s Stores also.

Furniture – Ashley Furniture, Harlem Furniture and LaZBoy all have sales planned. If you have lots of savings and a good job while you have a ratty old sofa, it might be time to go looking. IKEA Chicago also has a $150 cash back deal going on mattresses in their Schaumburg and Bolingbrook locations.

Update: As I find out more details I will update this post. Check back and bookmark this page to see the updates as they happen closer to the President’s Day Sale Date. 

Photo credit goes to alykat on Flickr.

After being absent for 2 years the Flower and Garden show is back this spring in Chicago. The Chicago Flower and Garden Show will be running between March 7 and 15 in 2009. This is a great show if you have a yard or garden area around your home that you enjoy spending time in or plan on renovating or improving this spring/summer.

The Chicago Flower and Garden Show is amazing for anyone to see because they have so many example gardens there that are inspiring for what you can really do with your space, even if you have a very small space to work with like urban dwellers do. There are usually a lot of vendors of plants, patios, decks, pools, hot tubs, landscape and design companies as well as lawn care companies exhibiting that can help. There are usually how-to talks also that help you find the right info if you want to do the work on your yard and garden yourself.

Tickets are $12 during the week and $14 on weekends for Adults and $5 for kids. This does not include the Navy Pier $23 parking fee. So, this is a fun family event if you want to take the time to drive downtown and don’t mind the parking costs. There are a lot of restaurants and shops at Navy Pier that are also fun to stop and see if you bring the family down to the Flower and Garden Show.

More details can be found at chicagoflower.com

Trader Joe’s opened their new Oak Park Store location on December 5, 2008.Trader Joe’s is a great store for Oak Park because it is all about organics, low cost gourmet and foods from around the world. They have a great selection of interesting foods plus a Trader Joes House Brand that offers just about everything for less. The new Oak Park store is located at 483 N Harlem Ave in Oak Park, IL 60301. Parking is available in a garage near by but beware the elevators don’t always work, so if you plan to buy a cart full, park on the ground floor.

Oak Parkers are a unique breed. (I know, I live there) We appreciate the local delicacies but want to experience the best the world has to offer. We like the close availability of the city of Chicago and mass transit but want to live green and earth friendly lifestyles at the same time. We want really tasty enjoyable food but we want it to be good-for-us at the same time. We also like elegant new products but don’t want to spend an arm and a leg in a recession.

Somehow Trader Joe’s Food Stores cover this entire list of contradictions. Not everything in Trader Joe’s fits all the requirements, but everything hits at least 2 or 3 of them. I am not a vegetarian or someone who eats only Organics so I may not know as much about those foods as I should, but I know that a lot of people have applauded Trader Joe’s alternative foods that are vegitarian, vegan and organic friendly.

Others applaud Trader Joe’s for clear labeling and dating of their products that are perishable like deli meats, cheeses and breads. Some people contrast this honesty policy with whole foods no-date-labels on anything in a refrigerated case so you don’t know how long it has been there. (a day or a week?) I think the only complaint I have heard about Trader Joe’s is that sometimes products are discontinued and people can’t get them anymore. It causes a freakout situation because it is usually something that wasn’t available from other stores in the first place, and TJs was the only source locally for that item. (a balsalmic reduction is frequently mentioned) But this may be a result of that product not being available from the manufacturer or it not selling enough in the stores. Neither are much fun, but both are a factor of doing business globally.

I have been shopping at the downtown Trader Joe’s location lately since I work nearby and it is closer to walk over after work than it is to drive to the other locations in Lombard, Glen Ellyn or Downers Grove.  (or on the North Side) To celebrate having a new Trader Joe’s within walking distance from my house I came up with a list of my top 10 foods to buy at Trader Joe’s that I think you should check out:

10. Potato Pancakes – Latkes- I love potato pancakes because I am Ukrainian and they are part of my heritage and since I am no cook, I really enjoy the latkes that Trader Joe’s sells frozen. Just pop them in the oven to warm them up crispy, add a dollop of sour cream and voila, yumminess.

9. Quiche- There are 2 kinds of quiche, with crust and without. They are both wonderful for no mess one plate dinners. It might not be rocket science to whip up a quiche myself but sometimes during the work week I couldn’t be bothered to run the dishwasher let alone cook something. Microwaving the bacon-feta crust-less quiche or the crusted spinach or ham & cheese quiche and you have a hearty dinner with rich flavors.

8. Scones – the fresh baked scones aren’t always available but they are luscious.

7. Tiramisu- the boxed frozen tiramisu is just like at the fancy restaurants but half the price. I like to use Trader Joe’s tiramisu as a birthday cake for small groups (because it isn’t very large) and you can keep it frozen for several months just in case something comes up to celebrate.

6. Two Buck Chuck- this wine is good, but don’t overlook all the other unique wines that Trader Joe’s carries. I have found many good wines here to compliment my meals.

5. European Style Yogurt- I first tried this in France where this was the only style of yogurt they had and they sold it in small glass containers that got re-cycled. I found that this slightly tart but sweet thick yogurt is available at Trader Joe’s in a few flavors. I like the coffee and the chocolate. After tasting the richness of the European style yogurt, Dannon will taste too sugary sticky sweet and simple. 

4. Individual Chocolate Lava cakes – These are beyond decadent, and sometimes can take the edge off a particularly bad/frustrating day. I don’t recommend buying them all the time though because I would eat them all the time then. I have to make sure I consume some healthy food too after all!

3. Kashi Products- Now you can get Kashi everywhere (including Jewel and Target) but Trader Joe’s was the first place I saw the Tasty Little Crackers and the Go Lean cereals. You can still get great Kashi Products at Trader Joe’s and they are usually priced lower than most other grocery stores. Likewise Trader Joe’s was also one of the first places you could find organic/natural cleaning products, soaps and shampoos. They still stock a great selection of those also.

2. Organic Milk- They charge far less for the organic and hormone free milks than most grocery stores (Whole Foods) do. I have friends that only drank hormone free or Organic milk while pregnant and also use that kind of milk for their kids, and it saves them a lot of money to get it at Trader Joe’s. The organic meats (beef, chicken, fish)are also a good deal if you can buy them on sale and freeze them until needed. Most meat is ok frozen for up to a year.

1. Mochi- Trader Joe’s is the only place I have been able to find these yummy ice cream treats for sale in a grocery store in Chicago. They come in Chocolate (the best), Strawberry, Mango and Green Tea. I found the Green Tea flavor to be a bit odd at first but it grows on you. The best thing is that each ice cream ball wrapped in a rice flour dough is only 100 calories.

Let me know if you have any other Trader Joe’s favorites that you can recommend in the comments below.

It is freezing cold out side, what better time to look at summertime recreational equipment at the Chicago Boat and RV show. Maybe we will feel warmer looking at the boats and campers? McCormick place holds a lot of the local conventions and is the only location large enough to hold all these huge boats and RVs.

Although we are close to a metropolis like Chicago many people still enjoy nature by going camping, sailing, boating, fishing or traveling by RV during the summers in the Midwest. (and some rich people have boats docked in the downtown harbors of Lake Michigan) Many people make a yearly family trip to a summer home this way or rent a place on a lake to retreat from the hectic daily work life in the woods. This is the one show that you can look at (and dream about) all the newest innovations in recreational vehicles.

Some of the fun features they have brought to this year’s Chicago Boat and RV show are:

GEICO the world’s fastest offshore racing boat (speedboat), a power boat docking challenge, a Shedd Aquarium display about taking care of Lake Michigan, Green Boating Zone with environmentally friendly boating products, the Texas Bass tank where you can see many kinds of fish up close and personal, the affordability pavilionwhere you can find modestly priced boats to fit your budget, the State Farm Experience challenges with prizes, the Huck Finn Trout Pond where kids can learn to fish and the Loop Rock Girl. And don’t forget the RV’s! All the local RV and Marine shops will be there to answer questions and show their latest new products.

The Chicago Boat and RV Show dates and times are:

Dates: January 14-18, 2009

Location:
McCormick Place in the North Building
2301 South Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, Illinois 60616

Show Hours:
Wednesday: 11:00 am – 9:00 pm
Thursday: 11:00 am – 9:00 pm
Friday: 11:00 am – 9:00 pm
Saturday: 10:00 am – 9:00 pm
Sunday: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm

Check out chicagoboatshow.com for tickets and maps of the convention floor.

Tickets are $10 (just like the auto show) and teens are $4 and kids under 12 can attend for free.

January 26 is Chinese New Year in 2009 and in Chicago there is always a big celebration. Chicago has a large Chinatown on the SW side of the city that has a lot of spectacular traditions and treasures to be discovered if you plan to visit during the Chinese New Year celebrations.

Every year in the Chinese (or Lunar) calendar has an animal theme (from the zodiac) with special meaning. 2009 is the year of the Ox. This year is all about prosperity, fortitude and hard work. How fitting considering our current economic situation. People born in a year of the ox (every 12 years) are known to have certain personality traits like being very determined, individualistic and logical people.  

How can you celebrate the Chinese New Year in Chicago there are a few things you can do:

1. You can visit Chicago’s Chinatown area and see the Dragon Dance/Lion Dance in the parade and stay for the fireworks. If you go to dinner in Chinatown the Chamber of commerce has this coupon for 15% off at certain restaurants. Also hereis a downloadable and printable travel brochure and visitor’s guide for visitors to Chinatown. The Chinese New Year Parade in Chinatown is scheduled for Sunday February 1 at 1 pm CST on Wentworth from 24th Street to Cermak Road. The The Chinatown Chinese New Year Parade will be celebrating the Lunar New Year and the “Year of the Ox, 4707” with local marching bands, beautiful floats, dancing lion teams, a100’ Mystical Dragon, and a Miss Friendship Ambassador. Many people will be saying “Gung Hay Fat Choi” to everyone there, which means: Best wishes and Congratulations! (for the new year) Parade start time is 1:00PM though there are other activities starting as early as 11:30 am.

2. You can get red envelopes and give them to family. These are traditional ways to gift money (even numbers of bills only, $8 is particularly lucky but don’t use $4, four means death) to suppress the evil spirits during the celebration. Traditionally they are given by parents to children or by married elders to younger unmarried relatives.

3. Check out the Chinese New Year markets (stores) for unique and traditional gifts like flowers, fireworks or clothing. These make more interesting gifts when you go to someone’s house for a Chinese New Year Celebration. Also buy some moon cakes to try, they are beautifully molded mini cakes with different flavored fillings and flavors.

4. Check out the fireworks and if you have some small ones set those off to celebrate too. In Chicago most Fireworks are not legal although small 4th of July fireworks like sparklers and poppers are. If you have any fireworks use them responsibly.

5. Do these things for good luck in the New Year: Open windows or doors (maybe when it gets warmer?), switch on lights at night to scare away evil spirits (do Christmas lights count? because mine are still up), eat sweets to ensure you have a “sweet” year, clean the house before the New Year (and apparently not just for guests sake).  (courtesy of Wikipedia)  

2008 was a busy and eventful year in Chicago. People started off on edge about the war in Iraq and ended with more hope for the future even amidst more problems with the economy. 

Chicago had it’s fair share of events, news, trends, buzz and history made in 2008. The biggest most popular news and events in Chicago happened in the last few months with Barack Obama winning the presidential election and Rod Blagojevich being arrested and then released with corruption charges. 

Chicago also remained in the bid process for the 2016 Olympics ( despite my disagreeing about it’s appropriateness here) and we got monsoons of rain in June and Snow in December, January, February and March. The precipitation levels in Chicago have been on the rise in 2007 and 2008, nobody seems to know why. Bernie Mac passing away was big news in Chicago because it was so unexpected and he was (and is) so popular here. Politics is always new in Chicago but I haven’t gotten into the fray there. We try to keep things clean on the Chicago Weekend Fun Blog.

Not all of these topics are things we can post about here with our main focus being about entertainment, events and fun things to do in Chicago. It is also a secondary goal that we cover any other issues that people living in Chicago have to deal with and try and always remain open minded about all different people, cultures and ideas.

The trends in 2008 news coverage popularity by topic: (from the Pew Trust)

Some of the most popular posts we had on Chicago Weekend Fun in 2008 are listed below in no particular order.  I was happy that these posts got a lot of comments and seemed popular with readers. There were many more posts that were well received but too long a list to include here and I always appreciate the comments, emails and contact form submissions about the blog. All comments are welcome, even the ones about my spelling errors. (I am human like anyone else, and sometimes forget the spellcheck) I also appreciate the people who comment with additional information that I did not have at the time of the post, after all this is a blog and a news/events/information conversation.

Our goal in 2009 is to write more posts and provide even more information about the topics that are requested and commented on. We enjoy working on this blog immensely and would like to continue doing so for a long time. I never thought that writing or running a web site would be this enjoyable as work, but I find that we always have something to say so the topics and words come quickly. We also know that this is a learning process so if there are revisions and changes along the way it is because we are doing our best to provide the best site possible and work out the kinks as they come at us.

Your readership is always appreciated as is your feedback. If you would like to help out the Chicago Weekend Fun blog in 2009 you could send us a note in our feedback form, add a link to us in your blogroll, send a link to the site to your friends, bookmark us or advertise your company in ad words in the content network that runs on the blog. Any or all of those things would be greatly appreciated.

Top Topics, News and Post Trends for 2008 – comments and views – in no particular order

 Chicago Area Cook County and DuPage Sales Tax Increase

 Chicago Magnificent Mile Lights Festival

 Apple Orchards Autumn Apple Picking

 Top 5 Chicago Tourist Attractions

 Chicago now has 2 Christmas Music Radio Stations

 Naperville Ribfest Festival July 4th Weekend

 Chicago Black Friday Sales and CyberMonday Deals

 Fogo De Chao Brazilian Steakhouse Restaurant

 Chicago Neighborhood and Suburbs Zip Codes

 Chicago Halloween Haunted House

 Chicago Street Closures for Barack Obama Rally

 Taste of Chicago

 Big New Year’s Eve in Chicago 2008  

 Tommy Hillfiger Lighting Christmas Tree at Macy’s 

The emails are arriving in my inbox already for Day After Christmas Sales at stores in Chicago. It wasn’t even Christmas day yet and the stores had already planned out how they will discount the merchandise to help you find a great deal on anything you did not already get this Christmas. The day after Christmas sales are also a common destination of you really need to return those purple socks or snake print sweater you got as a gift this Christmas. Some of the after Christmas sales I have gotten info about are:

JC Penny has a big after Christmas Sale and Clearance starting at 5:30 am Friday December 26th and Saturday December 27th. There are special door buster deals available from 5:30 am to 1 pm if you are an early bird. There is also a store wide 60% off clearance sale. This does not mean everything is on sale in the store but a lot of the seasonal items like clothing or home decor should be marked down. There are 2 printable coupons on their site you can use to get an extra $15 off $75 or $10 off $50. AND there is 50%-70% off at JCP.com.

Kohl’sis going head to head with JC Penny to capture that middle class market and they also have big sales planned for Friday December 26th and Saturday December 27. Almost everything from clothing and apparel for the entire family and all holiday home decor is 50%-80% off at Kohl’s after Christmas sale and clearance. The items may be subject to availability though since we didn’t have an easy time finding boots this winter at Kohl’s they seem to frequently sell out of popular items.

Best Buyhas a very merry Christmas sale going all weekend long from Friday December 26 through Sunday December 28. Check Best Buy for their Christmas sale items like TVs, dvds, wireless digital photo frames and home appliances. This is not a sale in stores though. Check bestbuy.com for details.

Crate and Barrelhas a day after Christmas sale going with 70% off on all of their holiday decor and many specialty items for the season. See here for a link to the Crate and Barrel sale page. I am a big fan of Crate and Barrel Christmas ornaments, home decor and wrapping. If you can get these holiday decorations or housewares (glasses, baking equipment, pillows, candle holders, festive swags, rugs) at a large discount now and save them for next year you might just come out ahead in your 2009 budget.

Old Navy also has a lot of great clothing, sweaters, jeans and t-shirts on sale at 75% off. Old Navyis one of my favorite stores for getting the same basic clothes as more expensive stores, and half the cost. And when the clothing is on sale, it is the most affordable time of the year to buy. So, if you have birthdays in the next 2 months or so to buy for or need anything yourself that you didn’t get to buy before Christmas, check them out online or in the stores. (personally I think clothing is better to shop for in person since it is so dependent on fit and you have to try everything on to know it will work before you buy) They have women’s cashmere cardigans on sale for $35.00 right now. That is a great deal.

Lastly, check out Macy’s for some additional discounts (15%) on purchases made online with the promo code SAVEMORE. There are already discounts of 20%-6% on a lot of clothing and merchandise. I have found that Macy’s does have good deals if you hunt for them. I got some great women’s turtleneck sweaters as gifts last week at 1/2 price of $20. You just have to be careful because there are a lot of items not on sale mixed in too. Macy’s has done a lot of business this holiday with promo codes, discounts and free shipping deals, so make sure that if you shop there you are getting to take advantage of them.

Happy Holidays and happy after Christmas Day sale shopping!

Since I will have the week off next week and many kids are off from school I thought some Christmas Craft Ideas might be helpful and useful to the readers of Chicago Weekend Fun. (cat toys, origami snowflakes ornaments, garlands and chocolate covered strawberries) 

I am not an expert crafter like Martha Stewart but I have enjoyed my fair share of craft projects over the years. I think the fascination starts when you are a young girl in Brownies and Indian Princesses and all the projects are crafts. Popsicle sticks, rick rack, origami and felt come together with sequins and glue to make some great christmas ornaments and kid masterpieces.

Right now crafts are also popular because you can make decorations and gifts at home for less money that you would buying in stores. The use what you have philosophy is big right now with the recession and economic troubles. That said, I enjoy a good craft project whether it is a recession or not. Here are some recent craft projects I have done that you may enjoy too.

1. Catnip Felt Cat Toys- This is an easy inexpensive gift for people who have cats and want the kitty to get something for Christmas too. Felt is cheap and available for $.25 or $.50 per 8 x 11 inch at most craft or fabric stores. I got mine at Blick art supply and Hancock Fabrics because I wanted a lot of different colors.

You can be as elaborate or as simple as you would like with the shape of the cat nip pouch you are making. I made fortune cookie shaped catnip toys this Christmas and then sent them in Chinese food container boxes. A fortune cookie cat toy is made from a simple circle of felt folded over and sewn in 1/2. Before you close up the end, stuff it full of catnip and pack it down well. Then close up the end and fold the half circle in half again like a fortune cookie and stitch a few loops to hold it closed. Ta-da Cheap inexpensive cat fun. .

The cats don’t care what the shape is so if I am just using the 1/2 circles I call them catnip perogi. Otherwise a plain square pouch is ok too. Sewing doesn’t have to be super neat either, the simple over under stitch works well and I don’t bother to turn it inside out to hide the stitching either. The cat’s just want the catnip.

2. Wrapping paper scrap snowflakes – I hate always having small scraps of wrapping paper left over. It seems like such a waste. I read a few years ago about a way to make snowflakes from them in Martha Stewart Magazine and the instructions are actually pretty easy. It is like origami, but easier.

First take a scrap and make sure it is a perfect square. Then accordion fold the paper in 1/2 inch accordion folds. Then take a stapler and staple across the center of that thin folded bunch of paper. Next, take scissors and cut a pattern in the edges of the paper where the folds are. A pattern that cuts off some of the folded edges on both sides on the ends is always good, it lets the snowflake open more. Then unfold the snowflake ends and tape them together so the flake makes an accordion folded circle. See picture at left.

You can hang small stars or snowflakes on thechristmas tree as ornaments or hang larger ones in the window as a decoration. If you don’t like the white back to the star snowflake just make 2 and tape them together before hanging.

If you want 2 kinds of paper snowflakes, got to wikihow.com/Make-a-3D-Paper-Snowflake and they have another “how to” article that I liked although I haven’t tried this yet. A home full of hanging paper stars and snowflakes is a very festive place to have a party.

3. Home made garlands – I know this reminds people of the 70’s, but if you have that cheap basic ribbon around the house that is kind of shiny, just cut it into 2-3 inch strips and tape or glue the ends together. This can also be done with paper cut into 1 inch by 3 inch strips. It is also fun to pop popcorn and string it with a needle and thread and then decorate the trees outside with it and the birds come eat it. You have to get the string or thread out of the tree eventually but it is cute and functional for a while.

4. Ok food itn’t technically a craft. But with all the baking going on people sometimes forget how easy it is to make chocolate candy type gifts. I once used baking chocolate and some chocolate molds to make a chess set as a gift. It was a popular gift and it was not that expensive. The only thing is that baker’s chocolate isn’t quite as sweet as the milk chocolate most people are used to, so finding another brand to melt down and use might be better.

Another great easy food to make is Fudge and everyone likes getting that as a tasty gift. The basic ingredients of fudge are chocolate chips, butter and condensed sweetened milk. Some people add marshmallows or nuts to the mix and a pinch of salt but it is basically just melted and then mixed together and then put into a baking dish in the fridge to harden. Here is an easy Fudge recipe for kids to make in the microwave. fudge-recipe.com/microwave-fudge-recipe.html

Also, chocolate covered strawberries are always a big hit. Chocolate is easy to melt in the microwave (or double boiler if you happen to have one) And you just dip the strawberries in and put them on a wax paper lined cookie sheet. Then drizzle with white chocolate or nuts to finish them off before putting them in the fridge for a few hours. These only keep a few days, so make the same day as the party if possible and don’t layer on the chocolate too thick, or it is difficult to eat. This is also a yummy treat for Valentine’s Day.

5. If you like the look of crafts and like giving hand made gifts without the hours of work you can always check out Etsy.com for hand made in the USA crafts that make great gifts. They have a full range of items available that are so well done that they look just as professional as the things you would buy in stores.

We only have a few shopping days left before Christmas and this is crunch time. It is the exact point where most women finish their shopping and the the men begin their shopping. (at least it is in my house) So, is it too late to get great gifts on sale for Christmas in Chicago? 

The selection is getting low, but there are a lot of great sales at most of the major stores in Chicago at 50% or more off most gifts.  This is probably the only time of year that it pays to be on the email marketing lists for online stores. They keep sending out coupon codes daily for free shipping and extra discounts and promotions to help people feel like they are getting a good deal this year with the recession, and so that they still buy all the stock in the stores that won’t be wanted at all after December 25th.

The stores that have promotional coupon codes going out all the time that you can sign up by email for are:

Macy’s – a wide variety of items are marked down, but not everything. If your favorites are not marked down, skip it. Daily emails let you know what the free shipping or discount code are today.

Old Navy – their clothing is really low priced to begin with and with extra sales and discounts, it is really affordable to stock up if you have kids.

JCrew, The Gap & Banana Republic - They mark down certain colors only, so if you want the tricky colors to coordinate like yellow, orange or purple you are in luck. If you want black or navy blue, it’s still full price. This is seriously annoying and I feel like boycotting these stores sometimes because it is so unfair.

Crate and Barrel & CB2- home furnishings aren’t as important to buy in a recession, and C&B knows that. They have had more on sale than usual but everything is still expensive. C&B is still good for those gifts you really have to impress with, like bosses and in-laws.

Kohl’s & JC Penny - get 50-60% off on most clothing right now but some items are already sold out. Like winter boots. Have fun trying to find any of those. And those portable outdoor wireless speaker sets. Really popular this year and sold out everywhere.

Sears (they even have layaway like the old days) check out the deal of the day and the 70% off sale. Craftsman tools still make great gifts for dad, grandpa and brothers.

Best Buy – Some electronics are marked down, but not everything. Get grandma and grandpa that converter box they need for the digital TV signal coming in February if they haven’t already gotten one.

The Premium Outlets in Aurora, IL also have sales offering discounts on their already low outlet merchandise prices. The trick is to go in the morning though since the afternoons are really crowded and there is no parking. Maybe go as a group and carpool so you only have to bring one car? Or have dad drop you off and pick you up?

From December 5th 2008 through January 4th 2009 the Bank of America Winter Wonderfest will be open at Navy Pier in Chicago. This is one of the many Chicago Christmas events that are perfect for the family to attend while kids are on holiday break. A trip downtown on the metra is always an exciting day for kids. The Bank of America Winter Wonderfest is a spectacular holiday event that begins its 8th holiday season with more attractions and over 170,000 sq ft of indoor family activities.

The Chicago Winter Wonderfest includes lots of amazing decorations with over 750,000 Christmas lights, 25,000 ornaments and hundreds of Christmas trees. The activities at Winter Wonderfest include Winter Themed carnival rides, games, music and live bands and entertainment daily. Many families found that this was a great yearly tradition to go to with the kids and return every year. (in addition to going to the walnut room at Macy’s for dinner under the great tree.

One of the attractions at the Winter Wonderfest is the eWish Center. The ewish center is open in Festival Hall from December 5th through January 4th. Kids can email Santa Claus their holiday wishes on the internet. Elves are there to help the kids write or send the emails. The emails go direct to Santa Claus. This is far more hip than the old write your list on paper and send it through snail mail method.

strong>Santa Claus arrives at Winter Wonderland at Navy Pier on Saturday November 29th at 5 pm on the Grand Staircase. This was for the opening of the holiday season and the official lighting of the pier for the holidays. Santa Claus also made a stop on the Family Pavilion Stage. Then he and Mrs. Claus listened to the holiday wishes of children from 6:00 pm. until 9:00 pm. Since Santa can’t be there every day, the ewish center makes sure that Santa Claus gets all the wish information and everyone gets their wish.

The Winter Wonderfest at Navy Pier is free to enter and walk around but it is either $12 or $16 to ride the activities and rides. The $16 wristband includes ice skating, the $12 wristband ticket does not include ice skating. There are a few family packs that include parking and 4 wristbands that offer some discounts. There is a winter wonderfest family pack for $64 that includes 4 premium wrisbands (the ones that include skating) and free parking if you drive downtown. Navy Pier is located at 600 East Grand Avenue. Phone Number: (312) 559-1212.

The hours that the Chicago Winter Wonderfest at Navy Pier is open are:
Bank of America Winter WonderFest will be open:
 
December 5, 2008 to December 18, 2008
Sunday through Thursday: 10:00am to 5:00pm
Friday & Saturday: 10:00am to 10:00pm December 19, 2008 to January 4, 2009
Sunday through Thursday: 10:00am to 8:00pm
Friday & Saturday: 10:00am to 10:00pm
Special Holiday Hours:
Wednesday, December 24, 2008: 10:00am – 5:00pm
Thursday, December 25, 2008: CLOSED
Wednesday, December 31, 2008: 10:00am – 8:00pm
Notes:

In addition to the Winter Wonderfest, Navy Pier is also the location for the largest New Year’s Eve Party in Chicago. Get tickets online to experience the best fireworks presentation and festivities of the New Year in Chicago!

I have been on a hunt trying to find where to buy Mochi ice cream balls in Chicago for about 6 months now. I have been checking all the grocery stores and food stores I live near and asking around to no avail. Until this week when I found that they sell boxes of 6 mochi for $3.50 at Trader Joes food stores. Ah-Hah! I can enjoy the goey sweet goodness of Mochi that you find at sushi and Japanese restaurants whenever I want now.

Trader Joes sells 4 flavors of these Mochi 6 packs: Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberry and Green Tea. A serving of Mochi ice cream is 2 mochis and they have 210 calories per serving. That is great news, a Mochi only has around 100 calories. Chicago needs more sweet treats like that with low calories and perfect portion sizes. We love our desserts and most people love Mochi when I bring them over for the first time. Chicago and the suburbs will fall in love with Mochi as soon as everyone knows where to buy them. Trader Joes seems to have Mochi in the Downers Grove store and the Downtown stores I have been to.

They can seem difficult to eat at firstbecause they take about 4 bites to eat and the ice cream starts coming out of the rice coating. I like the idea of cutting them in 1/2 and using a spoon or fork because if you eat them with your fingers it gets messy. Other people cut Mochi into quarters and use toothpicks for gusts to eat them with at parties. Mochi do make good party food since people will be interested in something new if they haven’t seen or tried them before. Plus, who doesn’t like ice cream? 

So this Christmas, New Years or other holiday try some Mochi and bring them to your holiday parties to add some new tastes to the event. Your guests will thank you.

This Christmas everyone is cutting back on how much money they spend on holiday gifts, festive food and Christmas decorations. I know I am looking at cheaper Christmas gift ideas when I go shopping in Chicago and plan on spending about 50% of what I normally do on Christmas Gifts. (we all need new Christmas gift ideas this year) It is a necessity with the economic crisis and the credit/liquidity crisis that is happening right now. In fact, I think spending into debt may have gotten us to expect all that constant growth so this is going to be a big adjustment over the next few years.

So as for those Christmas Gift Ideas, what gives? or what is there to buy that says Happy Holidays without breaking the bank? I think setting a budget for Christmas gift buying, per gift is the easiest way to achieve this. Then doing some research online helps you get an idea of what you would pay for a variety of items. It is free to search and look around at online stores, even to put the gift ideas in a shopping basket, but don’t check out yet! Do some comparison shopping or visit the Chicago stores in person to look at items and make sure you are getting the best deals on what you buy. Only plunk down the payment if it is a great gift at a great price.

Another element to great Christmas Gift Ideas this holiday season is to give gifts that are really useful and relevant. Some people may think this is boring, but I think it says that you care about that person and want them to really like and use the gift. There is nothing wrong with socks if they really need new socks, it is a gift that cares.

Here are some of my non-traditional Christmas Gift Ideas. Some people like them and other’s don’t but I wanted to share the info in case it was a help to your Christmas gift ideas gathering or shopping this year.

1. Hand Made Gifts- At the Renegade Craft Fair or from Etsy.com. I like hand made gifts because these days they look professionally made and they are unique unlike the millions of things shipped in from China. If you buy locally made handmade gifts you also support local businesses and artists, which is another good idea. There are so many christmas gift ideas to choose from, jewelry, home decor, knitted items and lots of artwork. This also may include food items you bake or make yourself.

2. Car Safety Kits – This is a useful gift for guys or women, it is basically a safety and get out of snow kit for your car. You buy all the pieces and put them into a Rubbermaid container to keep in the trunk of the car. You can customize it how ever you like but the main components are: A portable battery jump station, blanket, flashlight, shovel, ice scraper/brush, extra batteries for the flashlight, a crank cell phone charger if you can find one and a bag of road salt. Also a great Christmas gift idea for dads who are hard to shop for and own a less than reliable car at the moment and don’t feel like this is the right time to buy another car.

3. Warm accessories- Hats, gloves, scarves, ear muffs, boots and anything else that can keep you warm when you have to be out in the cold is a good Christmas gift idea this year. It looks to me like it is going to be a super snowy winter again by the amount of snow we have gotten already. Hats and accessories should run between $5 and $25 depending on the item and style.

4. Subscriptions & Calendars- a low cost gift idea is always subscriptions to magazines within the interests that the person has. Everyone has some interests and the magazines usually cost between $10 and $20 per year. Personally I recommend TIME magazine because it is so useful but a car guy might like HotRod better and dad might like the Chicago Tribune delivered. Likewise for theme ideas and calendars. They usually cost between $10 and $20 also and are exactly what someone needs in January. Very practical and useful.

5. Books – A great idea for Christmas gifts and kids is to share the gift of stories. You can get a lot of children’s books online at a small discount but check second hand book shops for really cheap children’s books. If you plan really early you can pick up a box of children’s books in the summer at garage sales for a few bucks. Children need to learn to read so starting by reading stories to them when they are as young as 2 really helps them get pre-reading skills and they like the stories and humor too. Regular books are good finds in used book shops too although you have to know the interests that the person has to find things. For older teens and kids a lot of 2nd hand game shops have popped up so computer and video games can be found for less. (gamestop)

6. Your Time- the ultimate gift idea is to give someone your time. Some people write out IOUs others just write in a card that they will spend 2 days off work helping with your bathroom remodel. (or clean out the pantry or clean the garage) This is always appreciated and worth a lot actually because it helps them save a lot of money on projects they need to do.  

The Chicago Premium Outlets Mall in Aurora, ILis the hot place to shop for Christmas gifts this season. I keep hearing about it all the time from people at work, friends and family so I had to write about it. My last trip to the premium outlets mall in Aurora was back in 2006 but it looks like they haven’t changed much except for adding more outlet stores. I have been doing more of my Christmas shopping online this year but when I really don’t have any idea what to get someone for a Christmas gift, a trip to the Premium Outlets Mall helps because you can see so many items in person in one place with all the outlet stores.

If you don’t have kids in tow, you can pretty much knock off your remaining Christmas gift list in one afternoon at the mall. That is a lot of progress in a short time, which is what people like me (who have no time) need this season. The premium outlet stores at the mall in Aurora also have the benefit of being discount stores. You have all the major brands that have premium clothing, shoes, handbags and kids clothes at 25%-50% off most all of the time.

The Premium Outlets Mall in Aurora, IL is located at: 1650 Premium Outlets Boulevard in Aurora, IL 60502, phone: (630) 585-2200

The Hours are: Extended Holiday Hours 

Mon, Dec 1 – Tue, Dec 23 
Mon-Sat: 9am-9pm, Sun 10am-7pm

Christmas Eve Wed, Dec 24: 9am-6pm

Christmas Day Thu, Dec 25: Closed

After Holiday Sale Fri, Dec 26: 8am-9pm
Sat, Dec 27: 9am-9pm
Sun, Dec 28: 10am-7pm
Mon, Dec 29 & Tue, Dec 30: 9am-9pm

New Year’s Eve Wed, Dec 31: 9am-6pm

New Year’s Day Thu, Jan 1: 10am-9pm
 
The last time I was at the premium outlets mall in Aurora I got a black Kate spade purse at 1/2 off. I was happy! My friend who I was with got a bunch of kids clothing at 75% off and since they grow out of it so quickly, and it makes sense to always buy a few sizes to big and put it away in the drawer if it is on a deep discount sale like that. It saves a lot of money in the long run. Plus the clothing, shoes and handbags you find at the premium outlet mall are not last year’s styles, they are this year’s styles and current items just at a discount.

All these retailers found out a long time ago that in certain areas outlet malls make more sales so just mark things down from the beginning and they sell better. That is why outlet malls are always in far out locations, they don’t want them near the high regularly priced stores because then they would never sell anything at full price again. So, consider the Premium Outlets Mall in Aurora, IL your secret this holiday season for getting the same type of gifts everyone else buys but at 25%-50% off.

So, here is a list of stores I found that are at the Premium Outlets Mall in Aurora, IL and if you see a bunch of brands you like and are in the chicagoland area, check out the mall and see if you can get ahead of the game and get your Christmas shopping done this weekend!

A|X Armani Exchange   
Adidas   
Adidas   
Aeropostale   
Aerosoles   
Aldo   
Ann Taylor Factory Store   
Anne Klein   
Ashworth Golf   
Asian Chao   
Auntie Anne’s Soft Pretzels   
Banana Republic Factory Store   
Bass   
BCBG Max Azria   
Benetton   
Bose   
Brooks Brothers Factory Store   
Cafe Seattle   
Calvin Klein   
Calvin Klein Underwear   
Carter’s Children’s Clothing
Chico’s Women’s Clothing
Claire’s Accessories   
Clarks Bostonian   
Coach   
Cold Stone Creamery   
Converse   
Crabtree & Evelyn   
Crocs   
Designer Fragrances   
Diesel   
DKNY   
Dooney & Bourke   
Dressbarn   
Dressbarn Woman   
Easy Spirit   
Ecko Unltd   
Eddie Bauer Outlet   
Elie Tahari   
Factory Brand Shoes   
Fossil   
Gap Outlet – Kids & Baby   
Gap Outlet   
Geoffrey Beene   
Giorgio Armani   
Guess   
Guess Accessories   
Gymboree Outlet   
Izod   
J.Crew   
Jockey   
Johnston & Murphy   
Jones New York   
Journeys   
Juicy Couture   
Kasper   
Kate Spade     
Kenneth Cole      
Kitchen Collection   
Lacoste   
Lancôme – The Company Outlet   
Lane Bryant Outlet   
Le Creuset   
Le Gourmet Chef   
L’eggs Hanes Bali Playtex   
Lids for Less   
Limited Too   
Lindt Chocolate   
Liz Claiborne   
Liz Claiborne Shoes   
Lucky Brand Jeans   
Maidenform   
Maki of Japan   
Maternity Works   
MaxMara   
Michael Kors     
Mrs. Fields/TCBY   
Naturalizer   
Nautica   
Nike Factory Store     
Nine West   
Oakley Vault   
OshKosh B’Gosh   
PacSun   
Pearl Izumi   
Perfumania   
Perry Ellis   
Petite Sophisticate Outlet   
Polo Ralph Lauren Factory Store   
Puma   
Ranch 1   
Rave    
Reebok   
Rockford Footwear Depot   
Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory   
Rue21   
Salvatore Ferragamo   
Samsonite Company Store   
Sarar   
Skechers   
Sony   
Spyder   
Starbucks Coffee   
Strasburg Children   
Stride Rite Keds Sperry     
Sunglass Hut International   
Sunglass Icon   
Sunglass Shop/International Watch Station   
Swarovski   
The Children’s Place Outlet   
The Cosmetics Company Store   
The Fudgery   
The Great Steak & Potato Co.   
Theory   
Timberland   
Time Factory Watch Outlet   
Tommy Hilfiger   
Totes/Sunglass World   
Ultra Diamonds   
Van Heusen   
Villa Pizza   
Villeroy & Boch   
Vitamin World   
Waterford Wedgwood   
Wilsons Leather Outlet   
Zales Outlet   
Zumiez   

I was just viewing this video from Leigh Hanlon on ChicagoCareless.com about how this year’s Macy’s window decorations suck since the company let go their former window designer Amy Meadows and cut the costs to produce the motorized diorama type Christmas holiday displays. In fact they imply that they are so sucky and cheap this year that it’s not worth making the trek from the suburbs or other parts of Chicago to see them. Ouch!

I have been going to see the Marshall Field’s and now Macy’s Christmas window displays for about 5 years now. (since I have worked downtown) and I have to say that every year along the way they have gotten cheaper or re-used displays from past years to save money. Guess why? The department store business isn’t very good these days. People don’t really want to shop at a store that they can get everything in one place for some reason, and favor specialty niche retailers now. So, Macy’s like Marshall Fields, is not selling as much merchandise or making as much profit so they have to keep cutting costs.  (and the recession really isn’t helping)

Plus, in another criticism of Macy’s is that they must pay a boatload of royalties to all the celebs they licence names from to promote their house brand products. (Martha Stewart, we’re looking at you) So, there goes the profits that would have been there in other years.

Personally I don’t know if I would go as far as saying the window displays ”suck” this year but they aren’t near the glory they once had. The designs look much less traditional and rely on a lot of cardboard cut outs and less of the dolls and actual moving parts. (this has been the trend for a while though) I have posted some pictures of the windows now and some from 2005 that I took before Macy’s bought Marshall Fields here.

So, if you want to go see the window decorations at Macy’s downtown in Chicago this winter with the kids or maybe haven’t seen their windows in the past, it is ok but not wow kind of work. If you used to love the attention to detail in the old traditional windows, you won’t be happy with these, and it is probably worth saving yourself the trip unless you really like going to the walnut room.

If you haven’t been to a Renegade Craft fair holiday sale, this weekend if your chance to get some great affordable Christmas gifts for family and friends (and yourself) that are hand made in the USA by very talented artists and crafters. I have become a fan of the Renegade Craft Fairs (when they aren’t rained out) over the years and I look for the sellers I find at the show on Etsy also.

The Renegade Craft Fair is at the Pulaski Park Field House (1419 W. Blackhawk St in Chicago) on December 6 & 7 from 11 am to 7 pm. They also have after-parties with bands. Check out renegadecraft.com for more info.

 I have become a fan of hand made gifts also because it is a more down to earth trend with gift giving. Giving something handmade (a quilt, jewelry, kids toys) shows that you like to find unique gifts, you like to buy eco friendly gifts and you support local artisans and crafters and you local economy. It is all kinds of holiday goodness.

The last renegade craft fair this fall was in the middle of a monsoon so it was less fun, but now they have rented a field house with a roof and heating. So, this should be better. Some of the great handmade gifts I have seen at renegade craft fairs are scarves, hats, sweaters and other knitted items. Kids clothing, kids shows, baby clothes, accessories and children’s toys. Lots of screen printed T-Shirts, messenger bags, purses and jewelry. Women’s accessories of all kinds. Soaps, lots of home made soap and candles. Printed items like letterpress cards, stationery and photo prints. Some sculpture and original artwork. Some glassware, pottery, plates, bowls, vases and glass artwork. Home decorating items and some custom made clothing. Pretty much something for everyone. (although probably more women’s gifts than guys)

The Chicago Holiday Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony has been moved to December 2nd in Daley Plaza downtown. The street address is 50 West Washington Street & Dearborn Street and the tree lighting will be at 12pm noon central time. This is the 95th annual Holiday Tree lighting ceremony and that long history is what makes it a tradition each year. Mayor Daley will be on hand to see the official city tree that is 90 ft high lit with thousands of tiny lights and begin the offical Christmas Holiday Season in Chicago.

Then afterwards the Christkindlemarkt opens with a variety of home made gifts and sweets in a German themed outdoor market. You can shop for authentic European Christmas Ornaments, decorations, textiles and yummy German Food. Most of the gifts are small type gifts that usually cost less than $25. If you are downtown for work or shopping on State Street or Michigan Avenue it is also fun to stop by and see the Christkindlemarket and the big Chicago Christmas Tree lit for the holidays. Make it part of your family tradition every holiday season.

Every year millions of consumers flood the shopping malls on Black Friday the day after Thanksgiving Christmas sales and buy as many of their Christmas gifts on sale as possible. The point to this 5am madness is that there are special deals and sales only on that day and sometimes only on that morning of Black Friday that help you save money on your yearly Christmas gifts bill. This year in Chicago will probably have even more emphasis on cost savings, sales, deals and discounts since we are in the middle of a economic recession and everyone I know is cutting back on their holiday budget this year. With holiday spending budgets getting smaller and the same number of people to shop for gifts for, parents will be even more willing to get up early for Black Friday sales all over Chicagoland and save an extra 20% or 30% on the toys their kids want for Christmas. Cyber Sales on the Monday after Thanksgiving have also become more popular in the last few years leading CyberMonday to also be a big day for sales and black friday ads. (as well as Green Monday, the second Monday in December)

The Stores that participate in this Black Friday Sale tradition each year change and you never really know what the sales will be until the week before or maybe the last few days before Thanksgiving. Then there is a flurry of TV commercials, newspaper flyers and internet posts on a BlackFriday site on the internet. Why these retailers don’t run Google ads for the term Black Friday Sales and CyberMonday Sales, I have no idea. It would be much more efficient in search and content networks online.

Some great Sales going on for Black Friday and Cyber Monday:

WalMart is opening at 5AM in Chicago! They have a lot of flat screen HDTVs on sale but you have to go online to one of those dumb interactive flyers where you have to click to turn the page rather than just listing them in one long page. I hate interactive flyers online. The deals are in store only. 

MicroCenter has 2 Laptops each for $299.00. A MSI Wind Netbook with an Intel® Atom Processor N270, Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition, a 120GB Serial ATA Hard Drive, a 1GB DDR2-667 RAM and a 2.6 lbs; 802.11b/g Wireless Network. (Price after $50 instant savings / REG. $349.99 / 857565 / IN-STORE ONLY) OR a Acer Aspire Notebook with a Intel® Dual-Core Processor, Microsoft® Windows® Vista® software, 160GB 5400RPM Serial ATA Hard Drive and a 802.11b/g/Draft-N Wi-Fi Certified Wireless Network. (Price after instant savings / 860361 IN-STORE ONLY) Pretty cool deals on some very functional laptops. The stores open at 8am on Friday. Be in line at 6am if you want these deals!

Dell also has laptops on Sale and they have a deal where some are $530 off. That still isn’t as cheap as Microcenter though.

BestBuy’s sales don’t look that great, maybe because their largest competitor Circuit City is going out of business and they don’t really have anyone to force them into offering really good deals anymore.

MACY’s has a special sale going now before Thanksgiving that includes free shipping online and an additional 15-20% off when you use the checkout coupon code “PERK” and buy more than $99 worth of stuff before tax. They say over 25,000 items are on sale too. MACY’s actually has a pretty cool website and a lot of your Christmas shopping can be done online very efficiently. They also have a second coupon discount code for free shipping “GOBBLE” that is good through Saturday Night. And a third for Monday only “ONEDAY” that is good for free shipping on orders over $75. They also have a special deal on buy one get one free women’s sweaters. And for Tuesday through the end of the week Macy’s has another free shipping code of “MERRY” running on the site. It seems that they change their marketing programs daily.

Fancy housewares retailer Crate and Barrel is even getting into the Black Friday – Cyber Monday sales this year offerin free standard shipping on all orders over $100 (excluding furniture). They also have started to mark down some items which they never used to do until they hit the outlet. I still think Crate and Barrel has great gifts for coworkers, family and friends if you need to impress.

And of all the times of year to make upgrades to the site Hallmark.com is not available this weekend. At least they recognize that people will be upset about this and go elsewhere for cards and creative stuff so they are offering a $2 off on $10 purchase cupon right now and they are offering a discount coupon code “SORRY25″ for when you come back to order your cards later from the site. I am not sure though if it will make much of a difference. First Hallmark looses it’s real estate in all the Jewel food stores in Chicago (to American Greetings) and now they can’t get their web retail distribution right either. Not a good sign for this company.

JCREW also has some sales online offering an additiional 30% off all markdowns today on Monday using the promocode EXTRA30 at checkout but only through Wednesday December 3rd. JCREW always has the best sweaters for work and in great colors. See if you can find something great there online if the site is back up. It was crashed when I checked. Maybe there was a really great deal?

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The stores in Chicagoland that I have gone to or seen sale flyers for on Black Friday for sales have been: ToysRUS, Kohl’s Macy’s Department Stores, WalMart, Target, BestBuy and Carson’s. Amazon.com also has a lot on sale for that day only. That doesn’t mean there won’t be more stores around Chicago that will have special door-buster sales or early bird deals. When I find out what some of the sales are about, the times, locations and %off I will add that information to this early bird post. I come back and edit and add info to posts like this to help get the word out. Gift giving is an American tradition at this point and even if we give smaller cheaper gifts this season, we still mean the best things from the heart. 

I do see a few trends continuing this year despite the credit crunch. I think video game systems will be hot and computers and electronics will continue to be popular too. Kids are just to dependent on them now for so much of their time and the systems have all evolved to do so much more than Duck Hunt. (Wii, XBox, PS3) Anything related to Rock Band, Guitar Hero and Wii is just going to sell off the shelves, so get them early or pay a lot more on ebay than you want.

I hope your Christmas season is bright this year and that we all will be able to make a happy holiday with family and friends with 1/2 the money it used to take in this sluggish world economy. I think focusing on good food and good times with family is more important than a pile of gifts anyway. Check back later to find out what is on sale near you in Chicago and get the best local deals to save money.

Macy’s State Street Store in Chicago has continued the traditions of Marshall Fields with the lighting of the great Christmas tree in the Walnut Room (on the 7th floor) each holiday season. This year will be no different. I just heard that Tommy Hilfiger will be the special designated guest of honor for lighting the Macy’s Walnut Room tree this year and hopefully Tommy will design some cool unique ornaments to decorate the tree with. Last year in 2007 Martha Stewart lit the Walnut Room Christmas tree in person and her ornaments were featured on what I called the gradient tree. In 2006 the tree was covered in Wedgewood China ornaments and the year before in 2005 it was all about Swarofski Crystal Christmas ornaments. The Christmas Tree Lighting in Macy’s Walnut Room usually happens the Saturday before Thanksgiving. This year the event is scheduled for November 8, 2008 at 1 pm. The tree this year is supposed to be a vintage decorated one with tinsel and antique ornaments.

The Walnut Room at Macy’s is a great day out with the family regardless of who designs or decorates the Christmas tree. I have been going there with my parents for the last few years and it is a very enjoyable experience and a tradition we plan on keeping up as long as we can. The food at the Walnut Room is not super fancy but it is very good and they revamped the menu with some more modern dishes last year in addition to the comfort food favorites you have always enjoyed. (chicken pot pie anyone?)  Expect to pay between $10 and $15 per person for dinner plus drinks, tax, tip and desert. Last year we had the best little mini-bunt spice cakes with ice cream on top that were a Martha Stewart recipe. I have included that picture here at left. We also usually stop to shop a bit and get some Frango mint chocolates since they are very good also. If you go during peak times (afternoons) the line to get into the Walnut Room is long and it is a first come first served type seating order. So, either go around lunchtime or go later in the evening to miss the crowds. The Walnut Room is kid friendly and they have lots of room for stroller parking.

If you don’t know him alreay, Tommy Hilfiger got popular in the 90’s for the preppy look that urban youth ended up taking, changing and owning later on. (think boyz 2 men) In the years since then he has tried to open his own line of stores (one was in Oak Brook Mall) that did not last very long. I know Macy’s is really is loyal to this brand and celebrity marketing plan they have going but I am not sure this one will work. Tommy Hilfiger may be a big deal to Macy’s but the rest of us aren’t really into his designs anymore. The line hasn’t evolved and it is too similar to a bunch of other brands we get cheaper at Target and Old Navy. (and probably manufactured in the same factory in China) So, he isn’t my favorite guy but he is a celebrity so I am sure that there will be a crowd.

If you do plan on visiting Macy’s department store in Chicago on State Street this winter for the holiday displays or the Walnut Room Christmas Tree Macy’s is reachable by Metra trains to Union Station and then by taking a cab from there to the store on State Street. Or if you live near the el train, take the brown, green, pink, orange or red lines to the State Street and Lake Street stop in the loop and just walk one block south of there to get to Macy’s department store.  Enjoy the shopping at Macy’s, the Walnut Room Tree and the great food this holiday season.

The International Exposition of Sculpture Objects and Fine Art (SOFA) is planned for Festival Hall in Navy Pier in Chicago on November 6-9. This is an amazing contemporary art show and well worth the admission to attend. The work on display at SOFA ranges from glass to ceramics to textiles and sculpture. Even if you are not an art expert this show is eye opening and entertaining at the same time.

Art innovates constantly and SOFA Chicago is one of the few places to see what is new and evolving before it hits mainstream. If you are smart you can integrate these style details into your life before everyone else (haha) and become more of a style innovator yourself. That said the purchase prices of these art objects and sculptures are steep. These artwork pieces on display are not quite intended for the general public to buy and are usually purchased for private collections or in museums for the rest of us to enjoy. SOFA Chicago isn’t somewhere to go if you need to furnish your living room unless you are a millionaire. There is also a SOFA VIP Program and a free Lecture series for anyone who would like to attend. There is more info with the dates and times on their website listed below.

Over 35,000 people attended SOFA Chicago in 2007 and there are more than 100 galleries and dealers all in the same location together at Navy Pier. If you buy serious art this is the event to see everything all at once. Tickets to SOFA Chicago are available online for $15 for one day or $25 for a 3 day weekend pass. There is also an opening night Gala event that is $50.00 and you get to see all the art and sculpture objects before anyone else. Personally I was thinking of going since I have never been to SOFA and I hear people raving about it every year. It isn’t that expensive to attend although you will pay another $25.00 on top of your ticket prices for parking at Navy Pier. I think $35.00 is a small price for all that great inspiration.  Check out sofaexpo.com to buy tickets online or you can buy them at the door also.

The alphabetical list of Galleries exhibiting at SOFA Chicago 2008 is:

Aaron Faber Gallery
Adamar Fine Arts
Andora Gallery
Ann Nathan Gallery
Barry Friedman
Beaver Galleries
Berengo Studio
Blue Rain Gallery
browngrotta arts
Bullseye Gallery
Cervini Haas Gallery
Chappell Gallery
Charon Kransen Arts
Collection – Ateliers d’Art de France
COVET – collectable objects & fine art
CREA Gallery
D&M Fine Arts
Dai Ichi Arts
The Dancing Hands Gallery
David Collection
del Mano Gallery
Donna Schneier Fine Arts
Duane Reed Gallery
Eden Gallery
Elliott Brown Gallery
Ferrin Gallery
FLATFILE Galleries
Function + Art
Galerie Besson
Galerie Elca London
Galerie Elena Lee
Galerie Pokorná
Galleri Grønlund
Galleri Udengaard
Galleria Norsu
Gallery Sklo
Garson Baker Fine Art
Glass Artists Gallery
Habatat Galleries, Chicago
Habatat Galleries, Florida-Virgina
HABATAT Galleries, Michigan
Hawk Galleries
Heller Gallery
Holsten Galleries
Jane Sauer Gallery
Jean Albano Gallery
John Natsoulas Gallery
Judy Youens Gallery
Katie Gingrass Gallery
KEIKO Gallery
Kirra Galleries
Lacoste Gallery
Lafrenière & Pai Gallery
Lee Weitzman Furniture
Leo Kaplan Modern
Litvak Gallery
Maria Elena Kravetz Gallery
Marx-Saunders Gallery
Mattson’s Fine Art
Maurine Littleton Gallery
Micaëla Gallery
Modus Gallery
Mostly Glass Gallery
Mowen Solinsky Gallery
National Craft Gallery of Ireland
Next Step Studio and Gallery
Niemi Sculpture Gallery & Garden
Oliver & Espig
Option Art
Orley & Shabahang
Ornamentum
Palette Contemporary Art & Craft
Patina Gallery
Perimeter Gallery
Pistachios
Portals
PRISM Contemporary Glass
rakovaBRECKERgallery
Ruth Lawrence Fine Art
SABBIA
Santa Fe Clay
Sherrie Gallerie
Sherry Leedy Contemporary Art
Signature Gallery
Silica Galleries
Sim JaeCheon Gallery
Snyderman-Works Galleries
ten472 Contemporary Art
Thomas R. Riley Galleries
Turkish Cultural Foundation
Twiga
UrbanGlass
Wexler Gallery
William Zimmer
Yaw Gallery
Zygman Voss Gallery

The Magnificent Mile Lights Festival is a yearly event not to miss on Michigan Avenue in Chicago.

If you are looking for the 2009 details you can find that post here.

Everyone comes downtown to Michigan Avenue at Christmas time. Not because there isn’t shopping in all the shopping malls across Chicagoland, but because of the lights and the festivities that happen there. Michigan Avenue got the name the Magnificent Mile because of the shopping spectacle and uniqueness of what happens there. Christmas season will be here soon (and some people are getting a jump on their Christmas shopping lists now in advance) and the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival is one way to experience all that is glorious about this Midwestern shopping mecca and have fun with the kids in the Christmas season downtown.

The Magnificent Mile Lights Festival is on Saturday, November 22, 2008. The festivities start at 11 am and go until 10 pm. Take the train (Metra or EL) in from the suburbs with the family for a fun day in the city. A cab is the quickest way from Union Station to Michigan Avenue when it is cold outside.

11:00 am-5:00 pm The Harris Stage will have performances by Justin Roberts & the Not Ready for Naptime Players, Ralph’s World, and of course Jason Mraz. This musical event is sponsored by the radio station Mix 101.9FM. The Cheetah Girls will also be there courtesy of Radio Disney at the Harris Stage, Pioneer Court at 401 North Michigan Avenue.

5:00 pm Live bands and lots of local entertainment will be performing all along Michigan Avenue before the lighting procession begins. This will be at North Michigan Avenue on Oak Street all the way to Wacker Dr.

5:30 pm The largest Holiday Carol will be the next challenge for the WLS 890 AM Radio station team. They want to break the world record on this. It will be lots of fun and at Pioneer Court at 401 North Michigan Avenue.

6:00 pm–7:00 pm The lighting Procession begins. (like a parade) Disney’s Mickey Mouse will be the master of ceremonies this year and he leads the lighting of more than one million lights on Michigan avenue and in The Magnificent Mile district to officially start the holiday (shopping) season in Chicago! You can see the lighting procession happen at North Michigan Avenue all the way from Oak Street to Wacker Dr.

6:52 pm ABC 7 Chicago will be sponsoring a fireworks display over the Chicago River as the finalé to this weekend holiday event! View the fireworks at North Michigan Avenue and the Chicago River.

7:00 pm–10:00 pm You can get a jump start on your Christmas shopping with extended shopping hours at participating Magnificent Mile stores! Also, many restaurants downtown and hotels may have extended hours or special deals that weekend for the festival. The Magnificent Mile Lights Festival presented will also be televised on Channel 7 in Chicago.

I just got an email about this IKEA 3 day weekend sale in Chicago and wanted to share the great news. Ikea Billy bookcases are on Sale for $30.00 off. These great multipurpose bookcases usually cost $89.99 and this weekend for Friday, Saturday and Sunday they are only $59.99. There is a limit of 2 per customer. I love bookcases with well organized books, overhead bookcase lighting and a comfy chair to read. I am not in the market for a bookcase or furniture right now, but if I was, I would be over there so fast… IKEA has 2 Chicago locations, one in Schaumburg, IL and one in Bolingbrook, IL.

If you go to this sale event in Chicago be sure to leave early as I am sure there is a limit to how many they have on sale that day. And always bring someone with you to IKEA so you have help carrying and loading things to the car. They don’t let you take carts outside the building so you need someone to watch your stuff while you back up the car to the loading area. I am pretty sure that IKEA has made a significant contribution to the decor of the several million households in Chicago with their affordable furniture and modern designs. Plus whenever you go to IKEA you will end up buying more than you came for because it is all such a good deal. I always end up with an extra sauce pan, lamp or tea kettle because it is so affordable and cute.

And as a bonus to get shoppers out early they are offering free breakfast until 10:30 am on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It looks like a small breakfast, but then again who wants to be full and sleepy when lugging home a new sofa.

They also have the EKTORP sofa deal still running from Labor Day where you buy one and get a slipcover for free. And last but not least all rugs (even the huge ones) are 30-50% off. Cool huh? If you have a new home and need some decorating help IKEA is there for you in Chicago. It makes me a little sad my place is decorated already…I miss IKEA. They do decorating on a budget better than anyone.

The Labor Day Weekend and Holiday Monday are so jam packed with events you won’t be able to stay home for long. Both in the City of Chicago and in the suburbs there are large events and parades happening in addition to all the shopping sales all over Chicagoland. The Chicago Jazz Festival is this weekend, the JayCees Naperville Last Fling and the Labor Day Parades are all day Monday. I know the weather will also be good this Labor Day Weekend, it should be in the upper 80’s and no rain is in the forecast.

First, on Friday at 5pm there is the monthly Critical Mass Bike ride through downtown and the streets of Chicago. Join up wiht them at Daley Plaza at 5pm if you want to ride along. There is a police escort at the front of the pack and bike riding helmets may be required….

The Chicago Jazz Festival is also this weekend in Grant Park. The 30th Annual Jazz Festival runs Thursday through Sunday.  In the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park they will be celebrating 30 years of jazz with two time Grammy Award winner Sonny Rollins. The admission to the Chicago Jazz Festival in Grant Park is Free! The Jazz Festival will run August 29-31 for three days of free music on three stages from 10:00 am-9:30 pm per day. No Dogs or Alcoholic beverages will be allowed in the festival. The Grant Park Petrillo Band shell Schedule is as follows:

Friday, August 29, 2008
5:00-5:50 T.S. Galloway’s Tribute to Capt. Walter Dyett featuring Julian Priester, Ken Chaney, Mwata Bowden, Edwin Daugherty, Ari Brown and Von Freeman
6:00-6:55 AACM Roscoe Mitchell, Wadada Leo Smith, Amina Claudine Myers, Michael Logan and Thurman Barker
7:10-8:10 Dee Dee Bridgewater’s Tribute to Betty Carter
8:30-9:30 Eddie Palmieri’s Latin Jazz Band

Saturday, August 30, 2008
4:30-4:45 – Remembering Franz Jackson
5:00-5:50 – Pharez Whitted Sextet
6:00-6:55 – Vijay Iyer Quintet
7:10-8:10 – Dave Douglas Brass Ecstasy
8:30-9:30 – Gerald Wilson Orchestra with a special guest Kenny Burrell

Sunday, August 31, 2008
5:00-5:50 – Ron Dewar Quintet
6:00-6:55 – From the Netherlands: The Instant Composers Pool
7:10-8:10 – 8 Bold Souls with a Special Guest Dee Alexander
8:30-9:30 – Ornette Coleman

Naperville is also hosting it’s Jaycee’s Last Fling Concert Event in the downtown area. This is the traditional last event of the summer to celebrate and socialize before the official fall season and back to school craziness takes off and fills the calendar. Click here to see the full last fling booklet with the map, directions, schedule and more info you may need.

The Naperville JayCee’s Last Fling 2008 features a Carnival, Main Stage Performances featuring Nationally known Artists, Free performances on the Entertainment Stage daily, a Beer Garden and Dozens of Great Food Vendors and Business Expo Booths From local Naperville Businesses. It is a great place to take the family for a fun night out. Tickets are $10.00 per person on Friday night and $12.00 per person on Saturday and Sunday night. Tickets can be purchased at Oswald’s Pharmacy at 88 Gartner Road in Naperville, 60540 (in the Naperville Plaza Shopping Center) or at Dean’s Clothing at 226 South Main Street in Naperville, 60540 (in Downtown Naperville). The actual location of the Last Fling is: The Naperville Riverwalk, 100 West Jackson Avenue Naperville, IL 60540 phone: 630-961-4143

Naperville Last Fling Dates and Times:

• Friday August 29 @ 5 pm – 11 pm
• Saturday  August 30 @ 10 am – 11 pm
• Sunday  August 31 @ 10 am – 11 pm
• Monday September 1 @ 10 am – 6 pm

Music Concert Schedule
Friday August 29th
8:00 pm to 10:00 pm Dennis DeYoung
6:00 pm to 8:00 pm The Music of Styx – Hi Infidelity

Saturday August 30th
8:00 pm to 10:00 pm The Doobie Brothers
6:00 pm to 8:00 pm Painkiller Hotel
4:00 pm to 6:00 pm Josh Holmes

Sunday August 31st
8:00 pm to 10:00 pm Gavin DeGraw
6:00 pm to 8:00 pm Absentstar
4:00 pm to 6:00 pm Kimi Hayes

Monday September 1st
4:00 pm to 6:00 pm The Hat Guys
2:00 pm to 4:00 pm Stellar Road 

Enjoy the Labor Day Holiday and have a great weekend!

We all know that Labor Day is about 2 things.  It is about a day off for the working man (or woman) and it is about back to school sale shopping which includes great deals. I sometimes think that sale shopping is our national pastime in America because we excel at it. I have listed below the stores in Chicago and the Suburbs that have big deal Labor Day Sales going on this holiday weekend.

This Labor Day should be no exception in buying power even with a sluggish economy and high gas prices. I have seen stores discounting merchandise more than usual to give shoppers more for their money and cater to the needs we have right now in saving more money and spending less. Overall I think most people will spend less money shopping at Labor Day Sales and probably for Christmas later in the year too, but we still need stuff for families, kids and our homes. Just in smaller cheaper “on sale” quantities. Maybe it is a return to normal levels of spending and a more reasonable and sustainable lifestyle?  Some people actually use Labor Day as the time to start Christmas Shopping for Gifts. Yikes, is it that time already?

Big Deal Labor Day Sales

IKEA has a lot of furniture on sale for 3 days only (Saturday, Sunday and Monday)including a Poang Armchair for $59.00 rather than $89.00 and if you buy an Ektorp sofa for $599 you get an extra slipcover free and 0% interest. The slipcovers are washable and worth at least $300.00. Ikea has 2 locations in Chicago. One in Bolingbrook and one in Schaumburg by Woodfield Mall.

Harlem Furniture RoomPlace Stores have a special deal where everything is on sale for Labor Day plus there is a harlem furniture roomplace discount sale coupon here at http://cl.exct.net/?qs=110b2c600c311ac3937fd00be20eabbdd9bd5f25e71dc3785da5f832527ddf2c that has $1,500 dollars in extra coupons for furniture discounts. If you have a new home with no furniture, now might be a good time to buy because these stores are hurting for sales in this economic slowdown and they are willing to cut great deals. They also have 0% interest financing until 2013 which is 5 years. You can’t beat that.

Macy’s- State Street, Water Tower Place, Oak Brook, Woodfield and Old Orchard Malls. Stuff on Sale: Kids and Women’s clothing, furniture and Jewelry. Also if you use your Macy’s Charge Card you get an extra 15% off. There is also a Macy’s Labor Day Furniture sale goingon with a specific bedroom set on sale, matresss and some sofa and couches from the advertisements. Macy’s has higher prices than a lot of the discount furniture chains but they offer good overall quality furniture.

Old Navy- Labor Day Sale – Different specials each day Saturday, Sunday and Monday. It is always best to go to the Old Navy store and see the clothing in person and try it on for fit rather than order through the web site. Things seem to always look different in person than on the site and the merchandise is sometimes priced lower in the stores or on clearance there and they aren’t online. This weekend they have different items for $10. I know Polos and T-Shirts are on the list but in the store there may be even more. It is a great time to stock up on school clothes like jeans, sweaters and shirts for the kids at very low prices.

Banana Republic has a few choice fall items on sale for the Labor Day Weekend but they have 2 discount code deals available from their site and in the store. If you shop online use Discount Code LABORDAY for 15% off an order of $125 or more (before tax) and if you are shopping in the store use this labor day sale email discount code at http://kimptongroup.ip02.com/form/kimptongroup/viewhtml/9z1zjfd77fbhs84iin7emsl3vvr8kh0qqm5db7sib50 for a discount of $25.00 off an order of $100 or more from August 28 through September 7.

Darvin Furniture is also having a sale, but then what Furniture store isn’t? They have a no sales tax deal where you save the sales tax amount on your furniture OR get no interest financing until 2013. On furniture purchases that could be as much as a few hundred dollars. Darvin has stores in Orland Park and Chicago. They also offer same day delivery or same day pickup if you order early in the day and the pieces are in stock. This isn’t a huge discount on the furniture have a dealbreaker price in mind before you go to the store. If they don’t meet it, they don’t get the sale. Shop around and get the best deal for your dollar.

Carson’s Furniture Store has a sale on Mattresses. If you are in the market for one they have a lot of fancy ones and they are all on sale now. The only Carson’s furniture store I know of is behind Yorktown mall in Lombard.

Empire Carpets is having a wood and laminate floor sale with some select types and colors 60% off. That is a huge discount if you are looking to get wood floors (oak) put in your house. Sing along: 588-2300 Empire!

Sears – Appliances are on sale for labor day, of course. With the housing slump it will be hard to move huge energy sucking stainless steel fridges when most everyone has one already.

Kohl’s- Kohl’s is the king of Holiday Sales. They are all about getting you in the door with the Sunday paper flyer and listing some great deals. If your kids aren’t completely outfitted with their fall/winter wardrobe now is the time to get it at 15-30% off. If you have a kohl’s charge card and got a coupon in the mail for a discount, use that too and maximize your discounts.

Ashley Furniture- I am not sure where this company came from but they landed in Chicago about 2 years ago and have taken on the former Wickes furniture media buy on TV, Radio and Newspaper flyer advertising. For some reason Furniture stores work on the principle that every holiday no matter how big or small is worth celebrating with a sale. I think they have to get people in the door with certain teaser items in order to make sales or no one would ever venture into a furniture store in Chicago.  

Harlem Furniture – Don’t forget about the Chicago original if you really do need new furniture or a new mattress right now. You could save some money during the Labor Day sale.

Value City Furniture – has a confusing deal going on right now. They say the Labor Day sale is a 50% off sale (on select items) and then the ads also say 30-70% off on some items. I think they have just bought a bunch of media without a clear goal and if you go there you should have a price in mind first for whatever furniture you are looking for before you see what their prices are.

So, what if you already have all the furniture, clothes and housewares you could ever need, congratulations by saving your money, staying home and enjoying the day off as it was intended: Cleaning the house.

Have a Happy Labor Day!

Note: Check back again on Labor Day and I will keep updating this page with more specifics as I find them.

There is a lot going now that it is mid-summer in Chicago. The weather is great, there are new restaurants opening all the time and there are festivals and concerts every weekend.  If you are in Madison,  Cincinnati, Cleveland, Indianapolis or Milwaukee, why not hop on the train and spend the weekend in Chicago? (or you could drive too) Its an affordable vacation that has all the fun of a trip to the coast or overseas. (even with downtown Chicago Hotel Prices) The Art Institute of Chicago, Museum Campus and Restaurants here in Chicago rival those all the world. Here are some of my picks for this weekend in Chicago.

1. The Art Institute of Chicago has a new exhibition on The Arranged Flower: Ikebana and Flora in Japanese Prints that is ending on August 3rd. Catch it before it leaves. Also there is a new exhibit called “Graphic Thought Facility: Resourceful Design” that is in Gallery 24 through August 17th. That exhibit at the Art Institute is devoted to graphic design. It’s fun to go and play name that Font. The Art Institute is located at: 111 South Michigan Avenue in Chicago, Illinois 60603-6404

2. Lollapalooza Is happening soon in Chicago. (August 3-6) It’s a last minute grab for tickets on Craigslist and the Lollapalooza site.

3. Wicker Park Fest is also happening this weekend on the west side of the city. They say to come party like a Hipster. Do any hipsters still live in Wicker Park? I thought it was all Yuppies now…Anyway the fest is still fun on Saturday July 27th and Sunday July 28th from 11:30 am to 11:30 pm Wicker Park Avenue and Damen in Chicago, IL 60622. The cover charge is $5.00 and it looks like there will be a lot of bands playing all weekend. Expect underground obscure stuff if you like to discover new bands before they make it big.

4. Critical Mass Bike Ride – on the third Friday night of the month at 5pm the bike riders meet in Daley Plaza downtown and ride throughout the city in a different path every time. It is always fun and somehow tied to activism in Chicago. It also happens to be very good use of a bicycle for exercise.

5. The Randolph Street Market Festival is also happening this weekend at 1350 Block W. Randolph Street in Chicago. Come to browse or buy the antiques from all over the country. Some unique stuff is here you won’t find anywhere else. But don’t expect flea market prices. It’s pricey quality antiques and the cover charge is $10 to enter.

6. WICKER PARK and BUCKTOWN Sidewalk Sale is happening on Saturday and Sunday, July 26 and 27th. The hours are Saturday, July 26 from 11am-6pm and Sunday, July 27 from 12pm-5pm. get your hipster clothes and accessories at 1/2 price at the end of summer sidewalk sales.

I think it has been pretty obvious I have been on vacation lately and not posting to the Chicago Weekend Fun Blog for a few weeks. I apologize for that, but sometimes you just have to get away from the computer and see what is happening outdoors. (Even if it is 95 degrees and humid) Some highlights from my Vacation have been a trip to the Indiana Dunes Beach in Michigan City and an evening at the Naperville Ribfest. Otherwise I have just been hanging around my city Chicago, enjoying some time off from work and catching up with friends. If you plan on coming to Chicago for your next summer vacation trip are some posts you might want to read first:

1. Top Tourist Attractions in Chicago for your Vacation

2. Blizzard conditions if you plan on visiting in the Winter.

3. Must See comedy at Second City Improv Theater in Chicago

So, enjoy the rest of your summer and I will be back posting more events, entertainment and fun from all over Chicago soon. It will be snowing here before we know it!

The Old Town Art Fair is just one of many festivals going on this weekend in Chicago. On June 14th and 15th (Saturday and Sunday) from 10 am to 6 pm you can pay $5 bucks to wander through the stations and view all the artwork and hear the local jazz and musicians play. The entrance is on to the Old Town Art Fair is at 1763 N Park Avenue but most people seem to get there by Second City at North Avenue and Wells Street because the Piper’s Alley theater has a paid parking garage. (it fills up fast and costs $25 to park for the afternoon) From there you can walk north or south to view the posh artwork.  

The Old Town Art Fair features local artist’s work from Chicago and the surrounding areas. You can find everything from fine art like paintings and watercolors to photography, sculpture and other creative arts. It is not though a craft fair. You won’t find flower arrangements or sewing projects. It is all about art in the traditional sense. They even feature some interesting emerging artists you might also see at the Around the Coyote Festival in Bucktown each year. So if you are looking for art to furnish your condo or home in Chicago or if you are just looking for an entertaining way to spend the afternoon in the Old Town neighborhood, check out the Old Town Art Fair. Expect large crowds (like in the picture) and this weekend expect it to be hot and sunny so remember the water and the sunscreen while enjoying the art fair.

Memorial Weekend is the offical beginning of the summer and the first time you can accessorize with white shoes and a handbag. If you are less into antiquated fashion norms than I am, you may be wondering what is goin on this weekend in the area of parties, BBQs and festivals. Maybe you are traveling to Chicago and staying in a hotel downtown and need something to entertain yourself with over the 3 day weekend? Maybe you live in the Chicagoland area and want to come downtown to take a mini-vacation this weekend?

First you can check out the Festival List  to see where the action will be. Next we have some recommendations here that don’t even require you to buy charcoal or lighter fluid. The list ranges from the regular to the unusual, and hopefully all travelers will find something to suit their holiday needs this weekend.

1. There is a Memorial Day Parade Downtown in Chicago on Saturday May 24th and it is Free of course, if you like free events to take the kids to in the city.  The parade route is on State Street from Wacker to Van Buren and the parade starts at noon on Saturday. Call 312-744-3315 for more info.

2. Go see DEAD MAN’S CELL PHONE  at Steppenwolf theater in the Downstairs Theatre. Steppenwolf has been known for producing the highest quality dramatic theater in Chicago and last year’s hit “August: Osage County” won a Pulitzer prize this year and is up for a long list of Tony awards. Dead man’s Cell Phone is playing Tuesday – Sunday at 7:30 pm and Saturday and Sunday at 3:00 pm. See steppenwolf.org for tickets and to order online or call the theater at 312-335-1650

3. Go see “America the Beautiful“, a movie at the Landmark Century Centre Cinema Theater in Lakeview. (2828 N. Clark Street in Chicago, IL) This documentary looks at the beauty and cosmetic surgery industry and what it is doing to our country and to women all over the world. I realized recently that by the time I was 4 I knew that I wasn’t what people thought of a “thin” or “pretty” so I wouldn’t go to ballet class because they made you wear leotards. I wonder where I got that idea? A bonus this weekend is that on Friday and Saturday there will be a special Q & A after the 7:10 and 9:45 pm showtimes.

4. Randolph Street Fest is the festival of the week this weekend. It runs all summer on specific weekends. This street market used to be known as the Chicago Antique Market, but alas less antiques leads to a name change. This means all kinds of good stuff is for sale, although not at discount prices. Check it out for some browsing action at 1400 W. Randolph St, in Chicago 60607. They now feature indie items (eco friendly, home made, crafters) and world goods from all over in addition to the antiques. From 10am -5pm Saturday may 24th and Sunday May 25th. It is $10.00 to enter to cover the site rental and security fees. Call 312-666-1200 for more info.

5. The 7th annual Bike The Drive bike ride is happening this Sunday from 5:30 – 10:30 am. The problem with this event is that it costs $50.00 to participate and it is really early. I could see it being fun though if you are a bike rider with enough stamina to actually make it through 15 or 30 miles of pedaling. I am not someone who could do that, but it is great exercise. Call the event hotline at 312-427-3325 ext. 251 for the full info. The ride starts at 300 East Jackson Boulevard and you may want to get there early if you haven’t pre-registered.

6. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Movie  releases Thursday and the reviews in Cannes and in the US have been pretty good so far. So, to avoid not going to see this blockbuster this weekend, buy your tickets online in advance.

7. Nordstrom is having their 1/2 yearly annual sale right now (on everything) and the discounts are a lot deeper than they were last year. They are taking up to 40% off of all the brand name merchandise that we know and love. I went over to the Nordstrom on Michigan Avenue today and was surprised to see that Dolce and Gabbana purses were heavily marked down at the same rate as the house brand. Apparently they are trying to offer better deals in this tough economy to help people spend more with their rebate checks by offering a better deal. If you do go, get there early before all the good stuff is sold out.

8. Indy 500 and Monaco F1 Race  are on TV if you want to experience some of the best racing has to offer. Tivo or DVR the Monaco race since it starts at 6am on Sunday morning. See if Danika Patrick can keep the momentum going and do well this weekend at the Indy 500. Ok, these may require grilling.

9. And a little bit after the weekend, the Chicago Reader  will be running their annual book swap  at the Cobra Lounge. They emailed me about it and they had this to say about the fun and entertaining social event:

Make Spring Cleaning Fun! Come to the Chicago Reader Book Swap! You have books you don’t need. You need books you don’t have. So come to the Chicago Reader Book Swap at Cobra Lounge (253 N Ashland) Wednesday May 28, 6-9 pm.  Bring books! Take books! Meet people who read books! Win fabulous door prizes! Have a beer! Free tote bag to the first 300 swappers!

They have been smart enough to figure out that book talk goes better with drink specials so, they mentioned that there will be” $2 PBR, $2 Schlitz, $2 Makers Mark, $3 Guinness, $3 Jameson, $3 Newcastles” available also. I think the best idea here is that this is all free. I have piles of books I never plan on reading again, and I may head over there for this too.

Personally, I will be spring cleaning my condo from top to bottom because I have visitors coming in next week and going to see Avenue Q at the Cadillac Palace Theater. Have a great weekend and Happy Memorial Day!

I was alerted that the former Virgin Megastore Music Store on Michigan Avenue has been silently changed into a hip young teen clothing store called XXI. And even though these are the roman numerals for 21, they don’t pronounce it Twenty One. They said “Hello Welcome to X-X-I”. Literally. I guess I am not the only one sketchy on the roman numerals anymore. The feel is like an early Express at around 1994-ish crossed with Bebe and  with more of what I can only assume are clubbing clothes. People excited about all this new stuff and they can’t get enough of it. It was very crowded at the lunch hour.

It is a new clothing store from Forever 21, which is either re-branding or branching out. They have super-cheap women’s clothes but there is a huge caveat. If you want the $12.99 dark denim jeans, the babydoll tops and strappy dresses you have to be really young, and really thin.

This isn’t really a surprise. I have a love hate relationship with H&M for the same reason. I love that they produce super cheap fashion forward clothing, but I can’t wear any of it. I normally wear a size 12 and nothing there fits. The large is like an 8 and after that you’re out of luck. I do understand though that by 18 years old you haven’t had 32 years to slowly get calorie creep or get off the fashion bus at 1998.

That brings me to the other problem with stores like this; these styles are either fugly or things I wore as a teen back in the 1980’s. I don’t really have any affection for the dropped sleeve diagonal stripe tops or big black polka dots on green, wide belts or high waisted pleated pants. Why are they bringing these things back? And why are the dresses and T-shirts all the same length? They aren’t long enough to be a dress nor short enough to be a t-shirt. I am so confused. Even with leggings these tops would be indecent on someone like me.

The other problem with this store is that it is huge. There are 3 levels and no real division of clothing type or organization by section. Things are either matched by color or by some other reason that escapes me. I find that there is no standard for finding anything and you end up roaming the store for hours unsure which European size will fit. Apparently a 12 is a 30 in their jeans, although there weren’t any there in that size. There were some fancier dresses upstairs in a corner, although none were even close to knee length, and a small men’s section that was just as confusing as the women’s. (mostly because it was in a women’s store)

I did like the accessories though. Somehow buying some big dangly earrings doesn’t seem so intimidating. (most from 5-10 dollars a pair) But all their shoes were sold out and the necklaces and headbands were a but gaudy over the top. There were a few other dazed and confused over 30 women in there too and we all left empty handed. Oh well, I guess another store gets my money then. 

It’s springtime in Chicago again and the conversations at family events have turned to garden projects and where to find the best flowers and bedding plants for the season. But, I am kind of an armchair gardener right now since I live in a condo and there is no land where I can plant flowers or have a patio. I still relish spring though because I end up helping  my mom out with planting annuals and perennials every year and get to still experience the fun of planting season in Chicago after a cold winter. Also, around Mother’s day is the perfect time to take mom to the garden center and buy her a trunk full of plants to use in the garden, in pots and on the patio. It’s a functional gift but it is fun too.

We used to shop for all our plants at a small family owned garden center in Downers Grove called “The Potting Bench” owned by the Wingren Landscape Company of Willowbrook and Wingren family. It was on Fairview Rd for years until they sold the location for a housing development about 2 years ago. Since then we have been using a mixture of cheap annual flats (like petunias, impatients and marigolds) and basic potting soil and pots from Jewel Food Stores and/or Home Depot.

Then to make a bigger impact we go to Vern Goers in Hinsdale, IL (seen in picture) for the showy and unique stuff to mix in the garden. Vern Goers has an entire greenhouse of just geraniums in all colors. These geraniums are twice the size of the tiny ones you find at Home Depot and they bloom more also. (they also raise impatients in house and have a greenhouse full of clancho, violets and poinsettias at Christmas) We also find more unusual perennials and more interesting, unique and colorful annuals for the pots that will be on the front step or more visible. Its a way to still do cool things with the garden but not spend an arm and a leg on plants.

The cost of a flowering flat of annuals (impatients, verbena, alyssum, petunias or marigolds) at Jewel or Home Depot is usually about $12 bucks. At Vern Goers it might be closer to $20. Plus they have individual pots for small interesting annuals and perennials that we usually pick out that can range from $3 to more than $10 dollars each plant (stock, wildflowers, coreopsis, clematis, coleus). Rose Bushes, trees and shrubs can be even more. So, it can get expensive fast. If you get a hanging geranium or any hanging pot plant at a Chicagoland Jewel Store expect to pay around $15 dollars. At Vern Goers expect it to be bigger and more beautiful but cost from $17-$30 dollars depending on how many plants it contains.

There is also a well known Naperville, IL plant center called “The Growing Place” that many people have recommended. I have not been there yet, but I plan to check it out this spring. I am curious about where other people have found good quality plants and good prices plant shopping in the Chicago Area. Post a comment below and let me know your thoughts.

I think that in general the big-box retailers like Home Depot have good prices but not always good quality plants. They can be small, buggy or damaged in shipping. Plus if the shipment has been there a few days many plants start to wilt because they may not be getting watered or enough sun. These Home Depot, Lowes, Menards or Jewel stores usually only offer the most common plants and colors that they can sell in mass quantity. If you get there when they are fresh from delivery you can get some healthy plants at great prices. Some of these places even offer some basic vegetable plants like Tomatoes also.

In contrast, small family owned garden centers or green houses (like Vern Goers or The Growing Place) usually have much stronger plants to choose from and if they cater to the upscale neighborhoods in Hinsdale and Naperville they grow interesting annuals beyond the standard petunias, geraniums, marigolds and impatients. They have real gardeners working there that you can ask questions of and you can get good advice about what plants are best for your sunny or shade garden. I like these places better but they are much more expensive, almost double the price of the big-box retailers sometimes.

So, many of us end up making twice as many trips, and getting plants each year from 2-4 different places. It’s not the most efficient way to plant your garden, but you can save some serious money on your garden. Let me know your favorite garden centers and plants and your least favorites also. I always enjoy the comments and feedback.

I have been out walking on Michigan Avenue in Chicago and noticed all the spring shoes in the windows for Easter this year. Or at least I think they are for Easter.Why else would the shoe stores be showing strappy high heels and slingback shoes this time of year? Easter is usually a cloudy rainy cold holiday in Chicago. We don’t get a lot of that light green grass and tulips that the ads like to flaunt. The pastel dainty offerings at Nordstrom, Macy’s Pay Less Shoe Source, Target and Kohl’s seem completely out of context for one feezing wearing regardless of how painful they are. I remember how the white or pastel shoes bought for Easter got tossed to the back of the closet soon after Easter and never worn again. No matter that warm weather will come in a few months, they aren’t practical for daily wearing because they are usually too uncomfortable. It’s not that Easter isn’t important, it’s just that the Chicago weather makes spring clothing impossible.

I am not sure who decided that pastel hats, gloves and shoes would be worn on Easteras we celebrate with pagan themed eggs and bunny rabbits while it pours rain at 45 degrees outside. This year Easter falls on April 12.  I think that the whole pastel frilly Easter theme should be suspended for anyone who isn’t under the age of 7 in the name of more practical attire. I know we miss warm weather in Chicago this time of year, but wearing a dress that blows in the wind and freezes your legs off won’t bring the warm temperatures any faster. Neither will strappy sandals. I have gone to church too many times freezing cold just to look fancy enough to keep up with the Joneses. No more. Here is a guide to dressing sensibly for this Easter in Chicago.

1. Wear Pants. It’s just too cold to get your style on yet.

2. Wear sensible shoes, whatever nice ones you already own. No need to go out and spend money on new stuff you will only toss to the back of the closet when we are currently in a recession.

3. Hats optional. I actually really like hats, but not in the wind. No amount of hairpins will help.

4. Gloves? Only the woollen kind are really necessary.

5. Plan on the pastel being from the colored eggs and tablecloth rather than a whole new wardrobe.

6. If you want a bunny you can always put bunny ears on the cat.

7. Enjoy the chocolate eggs and jelly beans.

8. Forget the blackberry, cell phones and computer at home and enjoy a day with the family.

Planning a wedding in Chicago is stressful but a lot of fun and an amazing experience all at the same time. After all you’re getting married! What could be more exciting than that? I decided to tackle this topic since it’s spring in Chicago and that means there will be a lot of weddings every weekend starting now, as well as a lot of engagements. I have a lot of knowledge about Chicago, so if I haven’t listed something here you want to know, post a comment and I will do my best to post an answer.

I have been the maid of honor in 2 weddings recently and I saw the planning stages up close and personal. They both took over a year to plan and the events came together beautifully with the help of friends, family and great vendors and service providers. I also sold bridal gowns for a year at Priscilla of Boston as a weekend-second-job so I saw brides every weekend and heard all their stories. Here is some advice from the Brides and from me on how to stay organized and keep things together when planning your wedding.

1. Get a notebook and start keeping phone numbers, business cards and take notes about costs, services, dates and other information that you will need to keep track of in order to coordinate this wedding. If you can afford a wedding planner, fair play to you, let them take the notes. If not, you and your mom or soon to be mother in law as well as maid (or matron) of honor should work together on gathering information on choices of everything and organizing information when decisions are made by the bride and groom. Sometimes the delegate idea works and sometimes it doesn’t. If you feel that your family and bridesmaids can’t handle all this in addition to what is happening in their lives you may be more on your own. And it might be time to scale back plans or get a wedding planner.

2. It’s ok to ask for financial help. It’s also ok to pay for the wedding yourself. Every family is different and walking into this process with financial expectations of who will pay for what can be dangerous. It is always a good idea to chat with parents or relatives that have said they would help pay for things before you sign any contracts for services. Find out what they really want to cover for you (if they can) and what they think it will cost. When you go to photographers, videographers, banquet halls, bridal gown stores and florists make note of how much more everything costs than you thought. Keep a list and see where the totals are at. You and your Fiance’ may have to cover the difference. Tradition commonly dictates that the bride’s parents will pay for the wedding but many couples today find themselves wanting to be in complete control of the wedding or have parents that can’t afford to contribute, so the bride and groom end up planning and paying for it themselves. Sometimes the groom’s parents may also pitch in to help by covering the bar tab at the reception and limo costs. The average cost of a wedding these days from theknot.com is said to be $15,000.00 and more than 1/2 of that is from the reception. Yikes!

3. It’s about your actual life together not your dreams. Some brides get swept away into the Disney fairy tale where they get whatever they want and the wedding is a celebration of everything they have dreamed of their entire life regardless of costs and family and sometimes even the groom’s wishes. The problem is that those images are sold to you to sell more wedding stuff. If you look back historically, the wedding is actually more about celebrating the real life you will have together and introducing both sides of the family and getting a little drunk in the process. It doesn’t have to be as fancy as a Trump wedding to be happy and fun and full of love. Bridezillas are made from Disney Movies and no one wants to be near one. Please don’t be a bridezilla if your shoes don’t come in or your flowers aren’t perfect or your fiance looks tired of you complaining about every detail of napkin and music for months. Try and think past the wedding to the time you will be actually living together every day and see if that makes you happier. Because it should.

4. I know costs can be a bit much and most of the stuff that you pay for is way over priced, most people feel that the things not to skimp on are the food & beverages, the photographer and the rings. No one cares what paper the invitations are made from or what day and time the wedding is at or what song the DJ plays next. They care about seeing you and your fiance get married and having a good meal (where no one gets sick) and whooping it up with a few drinks with the relatives. You are really host for the night and while you are going through a momentus event yourself, you have to be host for everyone else at the same time and make sure they are having a great time. It’s always good to focus on them and be gracious. The photographer is important because that is your record of the event and you want them to turn out great. Can’t afford a fancy photographer? Check out flickr.com for wedding photos in your city and ask who took them. Sometimes amateur photographers are just as good but without the marketing money to buy ads. If you see really good wedding photo work from someone on Flickr give them a call. The rings are important in that they should be comfortable and symbolic, and not that they should only be expensive. The rings will be worn as long as you are married, (forever right?) so comfort is key, and customizing them with inscriptions or dates can help make them even more special. Also, don’t forget the donation to the church or place you hold the ceremony. This is custom if it isn’t stated up front.

5. If things get too crazy mediating between families you can just take all the planning in house yourself or go elope in Vegas. I am not really kidding. Everyone goes through a point when they think they should have just eloped to Las Vegas rather than plan a big family wedding. The truth is 95% of them get through it and it turns out fine. The other 5% are in Vegas and have a good time too but there are less photos because things that happen in Vegas stay in Vegas. So, it’s win win really. A wedding ceremony in Las Vegas in the Paris or Venetian hotels can run $2,500.00 though if you get all the extras like photos and a big suite. Still that is a lot less than the full wedding cost.

6. Things you can cut back on to save money:

Shoes, get em at PayLess or Target they are only worn for an hour or two anyway. Bring comfy ones for later in the evening, they don’t have to match. (cost 30$ vs $200)

Hair and Makeup, you don’t need a professional stylist, you can learn a lot from a magazine or a demo at the makeup, salon or department stores. (don’t tell them it’s for a wedding they will charge then, say it’s for a black tie event you are going to when you go buy new makeup or get your hair cut. Experiment a few times on your own before the big day)  (cost $50 makeup & $50 cut vs $150 styling & $150 makeup artist)

Some people are ok with David’s Bridal type dresses or ordering online from Jcrew or Ann Taylor. ($300-$1000)These are thousands less than the bridal gowns you see in magazines that range from $1,000.00 to $10,000.00. Most of the cheaper ones copy the fancy ones anyway just with more affordable materials and less markup.

Invitations don’t have to have velum paper or the thick cardstock that you could cut a steak with. No one remembers the invite anyway, so pick something pretty but affordable too.  And don’t try and print them yourself unless you are a graphic designer with access to the real deal materials. It’s more trouble than it’s worth and they never look the same. ($2-5 each vs $10-20 each) David’s Bridal sells nice custom printed basic black ink on white paper with pastel lined envelope sets for even less now too. Avoid Paper Source unless you are rolling in cash. They are ridiculously expensive and don’t even look at the DIY kits or multiple ink colors.

Also, skip the limo and borrow someone’s fancy car in the family instead, and have one of the ushers drive it for you. As long as it’s got streamers on it, it’s fair game! Get the photographer to ride shotgun and take pix also. Having backup photos from friends and relatives with digital cameras also helps catch more unexpected moments. (cost: free & saves limo fees of $50-$100 per hour)

Consider wedding and reception dates in the winter or off season. Many reception locations (banquet halls, country clubs, restaurants) have lower prices for the meal and services in their off season, winter. If they don’t offer you lower prices for those times, ask and bargain with them because it is totally acceptable to ask for a better deal. The markup on all wedding related things is like 300% so taking 10% off is not going to hurt their bottom line. (cost: save $500-$1,000 depending on how large your wedding is)

Anyway, these are my suggestions, I hope they help you plan a very important day and make it easier to get through. A lot happens with weddings and families and your life. Its a big moment. Remember to stay calm and focus on why you’re there in the first place and it will all eventually work out fine. And congratulations!

We have all watched Oprah Winfrey turn a daytime talk show into a mega billion dollar business over the past 20 years and also launch movies, theater and a flagship magazine. Why wouldn’t Oprah be able to open her own line of retail stores? Oprah’s web site has sold everything from jogging suits to her favorite things online for years now and this is the next big location for the talk show maven to reach you in: your local mall.

I do think Oprah has lost just a little bit of her golden touch in the past year or so by hawking so much stuff to “buy’ yourself a better life. I think these retail stores will do well initially but if they don’t offer really unique things you can’t get anywhere else or things that genuinely do improve people’s lives they will eventually fail as an experiment. The photos I have seen have been a mix of teddy bears, books, music, doggie items, household items and handbags all very female focused. I think if she focused on self improvement more rather than shopping therapy she can win back people like me who are a little annoyed about how the show aims to make people feel insecure and then go buy something.

That said, the store aims to offer some of Oprah’s favorite things from her exquisite style and range of products she loves. There are fan items with the Oprah name on them as well as just items from other makers that she likes and has featured on the show. Oprah Winfrey is more than just a person and a TV personality at this point, she is a brand and people want to buy it. Especially in Chicago.

Anyway the 5,500 sq ft retail store opened February 8th, 2008 and is located at 37 N Carpenter Street in Chicago, IL. You can call the store directly at 312-633-2100 if you have more questions about the merchandise or hours. Does anyone else think her Oprah name logo looks like it says Opal? I always think that when I see it. Anyway, happy shopping!

I just read that the very popular American Girl Store near Michigan Avenue in Chicago is closing and moving! The Chicago American Girl Place Store at 111 East Chicago Avenue will close its doors it will re-open at Water Tower Place further down Michigan Avenue. They also mentioned that they will be closing down their basement theater shows in June and across all locations in New York and Chicago by September 1, 2008. I thought it might be just a sign of the times and the passing of the trend of buying dolls in hordes and collecting clothes and such for them. In a digital world of Wii and Guitar Hero where girls are on even playing fields with boys, how much tea party play and role playing can they connect with? Toys that become uber popular in Chicago usually end up being passing fads and don’t usually have a long term shelf life in stores. Kids get tired of things and want variety and they are growing up at the same time.

I have heard though that there were some issues with the American Girl Place Store management and the performers on differences of opinion on working conditions and pay ala the unionizing issue for performers. Did the American Girl Place Store not know about SAG, Equity Actor’s Association and other acting unions when they opened the store? eeep. Some people are so upset about the American Girl Store not paying their actors living wages that they are boycotting all American Girl Products. Others have posted about the less than good working conditions and pay for regular retail employees as well. This isn’t surprising in Retail but it is still sad to hear that companies insist on taking advantage of employees for less money than they are worth to save a few bucks to return to greedy rich shareholders.

I am actually surprised that the American Girl Place Store tried to take the concept of dressing up dolls for tea parties so far to even include shows. I am not sure it is relevant to the core concept they are trying to sell. Maybe this is a good thing? The American Girl Stores will move into a mall where they will most likely have a smaller space, smaller rent and more foot traffic from shoppers while remaining in the “downtown michigan ave” district. They hopefully will also tighten up their store experience around one core concept (doll+clothes+accessories+furnishings) and do it really well and efficiently. Maybe then the American Girl Place Stores can survive as a fun store to buy and collect dolls for little girls (all kids really) between the ages of 4 and 10 who like tea parties. Then it may remain a birthday tradition to travel downtown to the American Girl Place Store to pick out a new doll in Chicago for kids from all over Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana and the Midwest.

The coming presidential election reminds us that President’s Day isn’t just another post office and school holiday to break up the winter monotony and go shopping at some great sales. It is a day after Valentine’s day to recognize Abraham Lincoln and George Washington for the leadership and historical change that they brought to this country as president.

Abraham Lincoln was our 16th president of the USA and held office from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. He wrote the Emancipation Proclamation denouncing Slavery in 1863 and led the country to pass Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution to the Constitution in 1865. He was a Republican, a tall guy at 6ft 4 in tall and grew up in Illinois.

George Washington was our very first president of the USA and led the country from 1789-1797. Washington was very involved in military throughout his life and specifically leading the troops who were fighting of the Revolutionary War. (the one where we won our independence from Britain) He grew up in Virgina, lived in Mt Vernon and had a funny hairstyle that must have been popular at the time.

I can’t help thinking that if Barack Obama was elected he would join the ranks as a huge historical figure and bring a lot of much needed revolutionary change to this country. Hillary Clinton would likewise be a historical figure as the first woman president but I doubt she would bring the change to our economy, divided nation or international relations that is needed right now.

In the mean time since the presidential primary election has passed already (Feb 5th) and the general election isn’t until November 4, 2008 we can revel in the past presidents of change and go shopping. I have already heard rumblings of big big sales at a lot of local shopping malls and stores.

Kohl’s is supposed to start their President’s day sale on Wednesday 2/13 and run it through next week. They say that there will be a lot of shoes on sale. Get there early since Kohl’s is known for running out of shoe sizes constantly and you don’t want to be stuck with shoes you don’t want because the ones you did want are sold out.

United Airlines is having an airline ticket fare sale that has airfare starting at $79 each way. Not exactly what you thought of buying on the holiday? Well if you think about it, winter is not a peak travel time, so any incentive to get more bookings in is a good thing. Maybe you can get a deal on a place you otherwise couldn’t afford to fly to?

I would expect all the furniture stores (Harlem Furniture, Walter E Smith, etc…) to have big sales because winter is also and off peak time for furniture buying. (want to get your new expensive furniture delivered in this snow?) So go hit the furniture stores in your local mall to see how deep the discounts are. They may even be willing to bargain in this shaky economy just to get some more sales.

Cars don’t technically go on “sale” but I would guess that between the shaky economy and all the snow we have been getting that no one is buying cars. If you really want a new car and are willing to play the haggling game you can probably get them to drop a couple thousand dollars off the price of a car right now and over President’s day.

And don’t forget that everything winter related with clothing and accessories is already on clearance at every store to make room for all the spring and summer merchandise on it’s way in from China. So if you need a new coat, hat, boots, jeans, sweaters or turtlenecks now would be the best time to go shuffle through the clearance rack and get clothing for 50-60 and 75% off of full price. It’s a great time to find deals if you are a size that is common on sale racks.

Have a great President’s day and Happy Shopping!

I have always enjoyed a trip to one of the local Chicagoland Jewel stores for some fresh fruit and veggies. I am a fan of salds too but I haven’t been buying all the lettuce and toppings much latley because I found that I would eat about 1/2 of it and then it would all go bad. And vegetables and produce are expensive! I have paid up to 10 bucks for a medium size bag of grapes or 3-4 tomatoes. You really can’t afford to throw out 1/2 of what you buy in fruit and veggies and at the same time it’s hard to finish them if you aren’t home a lot. It isn’t very cost effective to always eat out either. At that rate I may as well throw out 1/2 of my store bought items.

Anyway, I saw a commercial for these new plastic produce freshness bags called a Green Bag and I wonder if they really work? Do they really keep the fruit and vegetables from going bad so quickly? How long do they last for? Are there any scary chemicals happening here? I haven’t tried them yet, but it looks interesting. It is definitley the kind of product that when it shows up in the jewel isle I will end up tossing it in my cart just to find out. I think we really want the kitchen of the future and think that better living is really possible throgh new technology. We will see if this lives up to it’s claims.

I noticed yesterday in the Jewel grocery store that the Christmas and New Year’s 2008 merchandise had already been herded to the back of the store, marked down and arranged with no particular care to indicate that within 12 hours of the holiday season being over, the store had moved on and it told me I should too. The ink hadn’t even dried on the paper I wrote the new year’s resolutions and they were already acting like these yearly rites of passage didn’t happen.  

 It was weird that all the cute cuddly, baking, sparkly, decoration, super important Christmas and NYE type stuff was now considered undesirable when only a week or a day before it was front and center. It’s all just so fast. I never felt like I even celebrated either very much, but yet there was all this work involved in running around just to get the basics covered. How did that happen? How is Christmas all work and no payoff? 

Anyway, the truth was that they had 1/2 an isle already full of perfectly organized Valentines Day candy, decor, cards and stuffed animals. Already? On January 1st? I guess retail marches to a slightly faster drummer than the rest of us.

So, if you are also recovering from a holiday that you feel you may not have actually witnessed too, here are a few tips for surviving January and maybe February 2008 too:

1. Put away all the Christmas Decor. Don’t let it sit until February like you did last year. It’s not easy to explain laziness to people who come visit even if you can usually make a self deprecating joke or too along the way.

2. Bake something non-holiday related. Like Banana Bread.

3. Read a bookthat you have been putting off for at least 2 months because of the shopping, parties, events and social calendar that you have had to maintain. Feel good that some tea and a good book make a great evening. (Personally I got 5 books for Christmas so I have my “work cut out for me”, whatever that means)

4. Check that Netflix queue, there are a bunch of movies that have been released that I bet you wanted to see. 

5. Organize those bills, books, files or paper lying around. Get a binder; file things in it. Get Quicken; log your expenses daily. Organize yourself for your own sake. Now is the best time to do it, (ok any time is ok, but do it now because I said so) and get the year started off straight.

6. Write some resolutions (goals) for the year and post them somewhere you will see them, like the bedroom mirror or bathroom mirror, or on the Fridge, or possibly all 3. This more for weight related goals. If it’s spending, maybe put the credit cards in a giant tupperware shaped block of ice and tie a note on it about the resolutions/goals?

7. Save some money. Yes, we all overspent a little, time to reel it in and not go in the red money wise this month. I find it funny that Black Friday for the retailers every year is like Red Friday for consumers everwhere.

8. And if you haven’t already; buy some Valentines stuff just to complete the consumerism yearly seasonal cycle. (sarcasm)

Seriously though, Happy New Year and I wish you the best of love, happiness, health and wealth in 2008.

As I went out to get lunch on Michigan Avenue in Downtown Chicago this afternoon I couldn’t help notice the Christmas shopping in full swing. There were about twice the number of people out shopping than normal and a lot of them weren’t daunted by the 9% sales tax there is downtown on top of the already crazy Michigan Avenue prices. I even saw some woefully out of date fur coats walking down the Mag Mile ala 1980’s. Please let that be a trend that does not come back, how cruel. Anyway I have been doing a lot of Christmas Shopping online. I was able to get coworker gifts at Crate and Barrel (it never hurts to get the boss and coworkers a little thanks for working and playing nice this year gift) and my brother’s from Fossil.

But then again we knew exactly what we wanted. Most people want a superstore experience with lots of choices like from Amazon, Target or Overstock.com. Overstock actually has a sale promotion contest thing going on right now too. In addition to all the low prices they have a contest (sweepstakes) that is giving away lots of cool clothes and jewelry but with a catch. They call it the All I want for Christmas Giveaway. Apparently two front teeth are not what everyone wants this Christmas. Registration with the site is required though in order to take part. This does not cost anything though and you don’t actually have to purchase anything from the site to be eligible. You do though have to choose an item from the site and email it as part of the promotion to a friend’s email address. So you have to pass on the word to be eligible. Like if I wanted new diamond earrings I would send that in the email. It might be a helpful way to let family and friends what you want for christmas? Anway it’s a complicated promotion for this holiday that already has a lot of stress. Here is a quick video about it to help clarify anything I may have missed.

There is a guy that rides the train every morning that has a segway and literally parks it at the station chained up and leaves it there. It hasn’t been stolen yet either. I don’t know what he does for a living but he loves his gadgets. I ended up sitting next to him this morning because the train was so crowded and all the seats had 2 people. I couldn’t help but notice that he had his iphone with him and today’s Chicago Tribune.

He sat down and immediately began playing with the iPhone. He was jamming along to Madonna and a variety of other songs (yes it was that loud) as he checked what looked like news and rss feeds and email. I was trying not to stare but that little iPhone is neat and I was curious about what it could do. Anyway, I went back to my TIME magazine and tried not to think how cool it would be to be reading an iPhone rather than my print copy of TIME.

I did notice though that although he had a home subscription to the Chicago Tribune and intended to read it, but he never did. Once he pulled it up like he was going to start and then the song ended and he grabbed his phone out of his pocket again. In the 30 minute ride he didn’t get any newspaper reading in. And I feel like newspapers have a new competitor now. They don’t just have to worry about web sites replacing their paper as a news source at home, they have to worry about mobile smart phones replacing it as a source to get news in a place you can’t be on a computer. I am not sure they know about it yet but the Trib’s job just got a lot harder.

Anyway my 3 years with my treo will be up in April and I should start looking at new phones since around that time frame they always tend to break. I would like the iPhone but it is SO expensive!! $600 bucks is a lot of money. They may have brought it down to $400 now, but still I have never paid more than $200 for a phone and I thought that was a lot. I have an ipod and I can’t believe that it hasn’t been broken or stolen yet too. I got some of the ipod accessories so I could always have it in it’s case with me and have a battery pack in case the battery runs out but it is nothing compared to how cool the iPhone is because it doesn’t have internet. Somehow Apple keeps making such elegant and swish gadgets that you want to buy new ones even though the old ones are still working. I guess that is their secret to the success.

I am hearing rumblings about what people are giving and getting this Christmas in Chicago. I have friends and family that are secretly shopping for gifts for loved ones without them finding out but want to know what is cool and hot this season. It’s a good Christmas season and sales are up already over last year so if that is any indication, there is a lot of good stuff out there. (both in gifts to give and gifts to ask for ) Here are some of the gifts I am hearing a lot about already.

1. Video Game Systems and Video Games in General are very hot to give again this Christmas. I am not sure how it became “normal” for adults to ask for video game systems for Christmas and have them in the living room with the DVD player and coffee table but they are totally mainstream now and not just for kids. Every guy I know has one and they become obsolete every 2-3 years so there is always new systems to buy and accessories and games to add on. The video game systems everyone wants this Christmas are the Wii and the XBox. Some people are still into PlayStation but the Wii is really what people want for it’s versatility. It’s the DDR of 2007.

2. Computersare hot as gifts because they just got cheaper again. I am not sure how they do this but Walmart, Dell and Amazon have laptops for around $300 bucks.  It’s an entry level laptop without all the memory or features you may want, but for kids that need one for high school or college it’s way cheaper than the 2K we had to fork over in the 1990’s.

3. Flat Screen HDTVs. Ok, I notice a trend with Electronics here. The Digital TV Signal Replaces the Analog one in 2009 so many people are looking at this Christmas and lower prices to replace that old Analog TV even though it’s still working. There will be digital TV converters on sale in 2008 but Best Buy and Circuit City would rather you just get a whole new TV this Christmas and won’t tell you anything about a converter until next year.

4.iPods – Um, yea… Anything Apple remains hot.

5. For little kids toys can be dangerous since so many are mad in China and so many Toys have been recalled this year due to Lead in the paint. So, be careful and check all the store lists for recalls and see if you can find some local made in the USA toys among the racks of China made toys. The Tickle Me Elmo Extreme is big for kids from 3-5 years old and Bratz are still big for girls into dolls and are more popular than the age old Barbie.

6. The American Girl Dolls have also still maintained a lot of loyalty and popularity this year. I see families on their way to the American Girl store downtown all the time. It’s still a big attraction here.

7. The new Transformers movie has also rekindled a lot of interest in the toys that transform. The movie related transformable robot toys are hot as is the DVD. I know adults and kids that are both looking for these this season.

8. Rubick’s Cube Revolutions. This toy is hot but not a rubick’s cube. The sides do not rotate at all, and instead have other games in them. Most purists hate this, but the kids that never saw the original are totally excited over this remix of old and new.

Every year the consumers go nuts the day after Thanksgiving and buy all the Christmas stuff they can fit into their cart at the day after Thanksgiving day sales. The retailers love it because it usually pushes the profitability of the store from red (loosing money) to black (making a profit) for the year and all their sales from then till the end of the year are all gravy. Hence the retail name for that day: Black Friday. The day 3 days later on Monday when everyone gets back to work after the long turkey weekend is called Cyber Monday because people also find good deals with Christmas sales online and use work time to shop and order their gifts that way too.

For some reason that name has jumped to the consumer side of the holiday shopping season and people know about it for the deals and the real reason it is called that. People seem ok with it though, they need Christmas gifts, and you can call it whatever you want as long as they get a good deal. And the sales are really what people are after. If you have kids  you probably buy toys and toys and electronics are the biggest categories for sale items. I don’t buy either so I am not so in tuned to these sales anymore but I hear about them at work and on the internet constantly.

What has changed this year is that everyone knows about these sales so the retailers have been thinking about how to make them even bigger and get more people interested. They have been marking down prices before thanksgiving and releasing the sale information online for the additional sales they will be staring the day after thanksgiving. If you are a die hard shopper and like to go out on Thanksgiving night at midnight for special sales and get up at 7am for special deals at stores like Kohl’s or Jcpenney,  check their web sites on thanksgiving first. You may be able to get the same deals online this year that you were only previously available in the stores.

The store items and sales notoriously don’t match what is on retailers web sites. But I have read that this year retailers are getting smart, and they are planning to have the same special promotions available in store and online. So you may be able to get a free shipping promotion and do at least 1/2 your shopping online and save a lot of time with that saved money.

It is also important to make a budget and a list and stick with it. Too many people end up with huge credit card debt come January. And it is usually just because they wanted to impress their friends and family, make everyone happy and get some sweet stuff for themselves to feather the nest. All this adds up really quickly and with financing and credit-card interest soon you will owe thousands of dollars. So, don’t try and impress anyone this year, just do the nice thing and get some reasonable presents within the budget. People don’t love you more if you spend more money on them, and if they say they do, it’s only temporary. Plus those kind of people are probably not the best friends to hang with nor do they get the real meaning of Christmas.

If you want to find out about black Friday sales online, this is the best site to look at: www.bfads.netThey are the absolute best and have everything listed there that is a special Black Friday Sale.

And if you want to give to others in need this season instead of going consumer crazy please donate to someplace like Cat Nap Shelter or another local tax deductible charity. (I have gotten 2 cats from this shelter and know it is a great home for cats that otherwise would not have homes and a no-kill alternative to the humane society)

This weekend there will be a historic new tollway opened in Illinois. The Veteran’s Memorial Tollway (I-355 South Extension to I-80) has been in the works since the 1950’s and various states of completion since the 1990’s but soon I-355 will connect to I-80 and give millions of people access to cheap housing and truck based shipping through Will County.

The public is invited to come see the new extension in person and either bike the entire length of the tollway (20 miles) or run a 5 mile segment. The thing is that it is sold out so you might be better off to just drive on it next week when it is open if you are curious and want to see it in person. We are all excited about this since a lot of our tax dollars and toll fees have been put towards this project for the last 20 years.

I remember when 355 opened and it was gleaming and new and seemed to open up the northern suburbs for those of us living in the south west burbs like me. Downers Grove, Darien, Woodridge and Naperville all enjoyed quick access to jobs, friends, hobbies and family located up north via this highway. It was $0.40 each way and .35 at some entrance ramps and exits. As I understand it now, it is $0.80 to drive without an I-Pass and 355 is clogged with traffic most the time. Not that this extension will help with that. I spent many days driving fast and furious in my younger days on this tollway when it didn’t have cops or speed cameras. Now I am older and wiser and the traffic has caught up with my slow driving speeds.

The 355 South Extension  Grand Opening Celebration will also feature family-oriented community festival including a Touch-a-Truck exhibit with a variety of construction equipment used in the building of the tollway, Illinois State Police demonstrations (we’re not sure what they will be demonstrating, maybe how to arrest people? how to quilt? How to make a origami bird?) , and environmental agency displays which will let us know how much earth the new highway will destroy. This celebration will draw thousands from surrounding suburbs to come see a once in a lifetime highway opening.

Some interesting facts about the new 355 south extension named the Veteran’s Memorial Tollway in Illinois.  It is 12.5 miles in length, has 3 lanes in each direction and connects 355 to I-80. (which is a major shipping and distribution channel for trucking businesses and all the stuff we buy which is made in china and shipped all over the country by truck) It also gives more people a cance to go buy cheap housing (like plainfield, joliet and aurora have done in recent years) and clog up 55, 355 and 294 driving an hour or more to work in more established areas or Chicago. 

The 355 South Extension tollway will run through 13 Municipalitiesa and Townships in three counties. These  include Bolingbrook, Downers Grove Township, DuPage Township, Homer Glen, Homer Township, Lemont, Lemont Township , Lockport , Lockport Township , New Lenox, New Lenox Township , Romeoville and Woodridge . There are six interchanges (entrances and exits) that have been constructed at I-55, 127 th Street , 143 rd Street – IL 171 ( Archer Avenue ), 159 th Street , US 6, and I-80. (the last one is the big kauna tuna)

The new construction in Will county will most likley get a burst from this new tollway. The construction began in the 1990s with the building of many pylon sypports along I-55 and then left them there with no further info to the public. Then in 2004 the project cme to life again and construction continued until November 2007. For more useful information see their fact sheet.

The grand opening event schedule is as follows:

9:00 am
Roll the Tollway 20-Mile Bike Ride
Hosted by the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation
5000 registrations have been received.
The event is sold out.
It was too early anyway

10:00 am
Community Festivities Veterans events
Construction Education
Local community activities along the roadway

11:30 am
Veterans Memorial Tollway 5K Run/Walk/Roll
Hosted by SALUTE, Inc.
Register at: www.saluteinc.org
Children under 5 are free

12:00 pm
Veterans Musical Tribute
A patriotic musical dedication

1:00 pm
Dedication Ceremony
Celebrate our first new tollroad in 20 years!

Since we are suburbanites and all have a bunch of cars we will drive to the event here is the official parking map for the event:

Martha Stewart will be in Chicago at the Macy’s State Street Store on November 10 at Noon to light the official historic Macy’s (Marshall Field’s) Walnut Room Christmas tree. It is the 100th anneversary of the christmas tree in the Walnut Room so what better way to celebrate than have Martha come light it in person? (The Walnut Room opened in 1907) Martha Stewart’s Christmas ornaments have been decorating the Macy’s store with sparkle since September and now it is time for the rest of us to get into the Christmas Spirit. You can see the Christmas Tree lighting with Martha Stewart in the Walnut Room Restaurant live and in person because it is open to the public. Although I would get there early since this seems to be a major publicity event and will most likely be very crowded. (the picture at left is from last year when the walnut room tree was decorated by Wedgewood)

Located on the 7th floor, the Walnut Room is one of the oldest operating restaurants in Chicago and the very first restaurant in a department store. The Walnut Room Christmas Tree tradition started years ago when the State Street store was owned Marshall Field’s. Macy’s has decided to continue the tradition and invite a new company and designer to decorate the tree each year and create special ornaments for it. Last year was Wedgwood china and the year before was Swarovski crystal. Both of the companies designed beautiful ornaments that really made the tree sparkle.

The restaurant is 17,000 square feet, the walls are constructed of Circasian wood imported from Russia and the chandeliers are made with original Austrian crystal. This restaurant grew from the tradition of millinery department associate, Mrs. Hering, who would bring homemade chicken pot pies for her clients should they become hungry while they shopped as there were no restaurants in department stores at that time, and, in fact, not one respectable place for a lady to dine. This became a success and Mrs. Hering’s Chicken Pot Pie’s legacy are still celebrated in the Walnut Room today. (the chicken pot pie recipe is the same although it is presented in a bowl with a flaky puff pastry atop the soup filling instead of a mini pie plate.)

The Centennial Great Tree – To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Great Tree and the world famous Walnut Room, Macy’s on State Street will feature Martha Stewart Collection kugels in an array of vibrant colors as the theme for this year’s Great Tree. Kugels, German for “balls,” were first used as tree decorations in the mid-1800s. Martha Stewart is reviving the kugel this season, specifically to celebrate the centennial of the Great Tree and Walnut Room, and will visit Macy’s on State Street to officially light the tree at noon on Saturday, November 10, 2007. The kugels will be available for purchase as tree ornaments and over-sized decorative accents at Macy’s on State Street and select other Macy’s locations this holiday season. The Martha Stewart Collection, Macy’s exclusive assortment of bed, bath, entertaining, and cooking products inspired by Martha’s personal collections and favorite things, represents the largest brand roll-out in Macy’s history.

I am sure Martha’s turn at the tree will be spectacular also. Her decoration line features some of the ornament styles she has featured in her magazines for years, except these aren’t vintage, they are new reproductions of vintage styles. The heavy silver backed glass Kugel style ornaments are featured in pink, red, green, silver, gold and blue. Martha has used these ornaments in the photos for her magazines for years and they are really quite pretty even in reproduction form.

She also has a number of bird ornaments and small cottages and town building ornaments that look like they might be from a vintage train set. There were small vintage cottage ornaments as a how-to make them segment in her Martha Stewart Living Magazine a few years ago. There are also glass ball ornaments of all colors and sizes (including giant glass ball ornaments as large as a foot in diameter for hanging on really large Christmas trees) and beaded sparkling garlands as well.

The dominant color in the trees and decorating ornaments is silver and white, but the colored Kugels bring a pastel hue to the trees. Which ornaments will be on the Walnut Room Tree? I have heard it will be the Kugels but who can really know before it is up and open to the public?

The cost of the ornaments is a bit high if they are not on sale. The small kugels are 10 dollars EACH. I think Macy’s knows that people won’t pay that much for 1 ornament made in China for 10 cents so they have had 25% off sales for the past 2 months. Unfortunately things are still not moving yet. Maybe with the Holiday weather and season upon us more people will buy a little piece of Martha Stewart to take home to put on their tree. And if you have lunch or dinner at the Walnut room, try the chicken pot pie. It’s delicious!

I have noticed there are a lot of great labor day Sales going on around town right now and I wanted to share the information with all of you. Who doesn’t like saving money with a great deal on new stuff you need anyway? Most of you may already be done with your fall back to school shopping because the kids are in school again, but us working folk are still looking for some warm clothes for the cold we know is coming in a few months. Or you might be getting a jump on your Christmas shopping for the year already. It’s an achievement to have it done before Thanksgiving. Here are some stores having sales this week and in the next few weeks:

1. Crate and Barrel Custom Upholstery Furniture Sale: 25% off September 14 to October 14. All 200o fabrics, 150 Furniture styles and frames all 25% off. Any fabric, any frame, any sofa, any armchair, sectional, sleeper, recliner, ottoman or dining room chair.

2. Old Navy – Sept 12 – 26 50% off select Fall styles. Their prices are already so low, getting things on sale is a steal.

3. Macy’s Home Sale – Macy’s has a lot of home stuff on sale. Some of Martha Stewart’s merchandise is on sale (because it is overpriced and not selling well) In general they have a lot of bedding, towels and some furniture on Sale in addition to some fall clothing that hasn’t been moving. They have winter stuff coming in soon so moving merchandise is a priority. And Check out the Christmas Department, it’s already set up in the State Street (the old Marshall Field’s Store) downtown on the 6th floor. There are about 50 christmas trees in there all sparking and decorated already including the new Martha Stewart christmas decorations that will be on the Walnut Room Tree this Christmas. They are all 25% off right now because it’s pre-season. Macy’s has a lot on sale every week, check your Sunday paper flyer to find out what seasonal merchandise discounted this week.  Also on 9/27 Macy’s on State Street presents Macy’s Trend House Opening, on level 8.

4. 9/20 J.Jill All Chicagoland locations present their Guest Appreciation Events featuring an additional 10% savings on your purchases. (Woodfield Mall location event Sept. 21) A portion of proceeds goes to the J. Jill Compassion fund supporting women and children in need. Refreshments from 4 – 8 p.m. at most locations.

5. Target – They always have great deals. This week some things that jumped out at me for an office are a great wood book case for $29.99, a desk and book case set for $69.99 and a trash can for $2.99. A very affordable way to outfit your home office. You can always go to Target.com if you want to search for deals and ShopLocal.com offers a way to search the local flyers in your sunday paper too.

Happy Sale Shopping!

It is almost October again and the Halloween candy and decorations have hit the Jewel, Dominick’s and Walgreen’s shopping isles. So, you know where to go to get candy and all the stuff to carve a pumpkin; but where do you go in the Chicago area and suburbs to find a great costume? Where can you find popular trends in costumes like Pirates, Movie Characters and plastic masks of your favorite cartoons? There are hundreds of sites online that offer costumes, but you can’t really see them in person or try them on over the Internet. If you want to go see the selection in person and pick something out, you can find some great stores and shops in this post.

Both kids and adults love to dress up for Halloween. There is something about leaving your real personality behind and being an actor for the evening, to be something you have always dreamed of (race car driver, pilot, astronaut, football player or president) or to be something funny (a movie character, a parody of a presidential candidate or a pop culture icon) or a character costume that scares everyone (like Freddy Kruger or other horror movie gross costumes). Chicago has a lot of stores and opportunities to dress up for Halloween. I am always surprised by how many adults I know are dressing up for Halloween and going to parties in Chicago and the suburbs. Here are some suggestions for cool, if not the best Halloween costumes you can buy in Chicago.

1. The Halloween Costume store chain from Spirit Halloween Superstores has everything from costumes for babies, to kids, to adults, to your pets!(see doggie star wars costumes pictured above) They have 22 locations all over the Chicago Area and a wide variety of costumes and prices. Some of the women’s costumes seem to double as pron outfits, but if you look around you can find some for average body types who don’t want to be half undressed too. (angels, witches and wenches) The men’s costumes seem to be somewhat traditional with Pirates, Football Players, Ghoulish Horror costumes and vampires. The kids costumes seem to be cute with snow white, princesses, spider-man and Star Wars. But they have everything from funny to traditional available.

2. Look to the news for inspiration and them use what you have in your closet. Have one sparkle glove, you’re Michael Jackson. Have a pair of old isotoners and you’re OJ Simpson. Ok, maybe those ideas suck, but I am sure that reading Perez Hilton’s blog will help you come up with celebrity pop culture ideas. Men in hip waders, a fishing pole and a bare chest? You’re Vladimir Putin. Ok. I’m done. I promise.

3. Go to another culture for inspiration. I am not sure if you have seen any Bollywood films or movies from China or Japan, but I love their traditional dresses. I think a Bollywood sari, Japanese style kimono or Chinese silk dress would be beautiful costumes. But I am not sure if this is offensive in any way to another culture, even if it is done in a way that you’re admiring the beauty of the traditional dress. Anyway, this might be harder for guys, because the cultural differences in dress don’t always carry over for men.

4. Vintage Stores. There is always a lot of cool stuff for cheap in Vintage stores. Wacky Cats, Strange Cargo, Silver Moon and Shangrila have been around since I used to go hunting for swing dancing vintage, and they offer much more variety now. You can find 40’s, 50’s, 60’s, 70’s and sometimes even 80’s and 90’s clothing at these stores. You can pick your favorite sitcom character from that era or just wing it as a vintage person from that era. My faves were always the 40’s and 50’s but today’s kids seem enamored with the 60’s hippies and 70’s bell bottoms.

I am sure this is just the beginning of the list. If you know of another store I missed, please post it and share below. Have a happy and safe Halloween partying in your costume.